Disorder-to-order transition induced by spontaneous cooling regulation in robotic active matter

In classical matter systems,typical phase-transition phenomena usually stem from changes in state variables,such as temperature and pressure,induced by external regulations such as heat transfer and volume adjustment.However,in active matter systems,the self-propulsion nature of active particles endows the systems with the ability to induce unique collective-state transitions by spontaneously regulating individual properties to alter the overall states.Based on an innovative robot-swarm experimental system,we demonstrate a field-driven active matter model capable of modulating individual motion behaviors through interaction with a recoverable environmental resource field by the resource perception and consumption.In the simulated model,by gradually reducing the individual resource-conversion coefficient over time,this robotic active matter can spontaneously decrease the overall level of motion,thereby actively achieving a regulation behavior like the cooling-down control.Through simulation calculations,we discover that the spatial structures of this robotic active matter convert from disorder to order during this process,with the resulting ordered structures exhibiting a high self-adaptability on the geometry of the environmental boundaries.