Directed Swarm Assembly due to Mixed Misaligned Perception-Dependent Motility

Abstract

A mixture of particles with perception-dependent motility and opposite misaligned visual perception shows to spontaneously self-organize into a self-propelling bean-shaped cluster. The two species initially rotate in opposite directions, which together with the steric interactions, makes them segregate into two main counter-rotating domains forming a cohesive and persistently propelling single cluster. Mixtures of particles with misaligned perception and discontinuous motility are therefore a promising pathway for the design of programmable active matter.