Inertial self-propelled particles in anisotropic environments

Abstract

Self-propelled particles in anisotropic environments can exhibit a motility that depends on their orientation. This dependence is relevant for a plethora of living organisms but difficult to study in controlled environments. Here, we present a macroscopic system of self-propelled vibrated granular particles on a striated substrate that displays orientation-dependent motility. An extension of the active Brownian motion model involving orientation-dependent motility and inertial effects reproduces and explains our experimental observations. The model can be applied to general $n$-fold symmetric anisotropy and can be helpful for predictive optimization of the dynamics of active matter in complex environments.