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Rotational Locomotion of an Active Gel Driven by Internal Chemical Signals
journal contribution
posted on 2021-12-10, 13:40 authored by Jing Wang, Lin Ren, Rui Teng, Irving R. Epstein, Hui Wang, Meng Zhang, Ling Yuan, Qingyu GaoChemical
waves arising from coupled reaction and transport can
serve as biomimetic “nerve signals” to study the underlying
origin and regulation of active locomotion. During wave propagation
in more than one spatial dimension, the propagation direction of spiral
and pulse waves in a nanogel-based PAAm self-oscillating gel, i.e.,
the orientation of the driving force, may deviate from the normal
direction to the wave fronts. Alternating forward and backward retrograde
wave locomotion along the normal and tangential kinematic vectors
with a phase difference leads to a curved path, i.e., rotational locomotion.
This work indicates that appendages in an organism are not required
for this type of locomotion. This locomotion mechanism reveals a general
principle underlying the dynamical origin of biological helical locomotion
and also suggests design approaches for complex locomotion of soft
robots and smart materials.
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tangential kinematic vectorsphase difference leadsone spatial dimensionbased paam selfgeneral principle underlyinglocomotion mechanism revealsbiological helical locomotionactive gel drivenactive locomotionunderlying originoscillating gelrotational locomotioncomplex locomotionwork indicateswave propagationwave frontssoft robotssmart materialspulse wavespropagation directionmay deviatee .,dynamical origindriving forcecurved pathcoupled reactionalternating forward