writer：Aritra K. Mukhopadhyay, Ran Niu*, Linhui Fu, Kai Feng, Christopher Fujta, Qiang Zhao, Jinping Qu, an
keywords：active droplet; maze solving; decision making
source：期刊
Issue time：2026年

Motile microorganisms, like bacteria and algae, unify abilities like self-propulsion,

autonomous navigation, and decision-making on the micron scale. While recent

breakthroughs have led to the creation of synthetic microswimmers and nanoagents

that can also self-propel, they still lack the functionality and sophistication of their

biological counterparts. This study pioneers a mechanism enabling synthetic agents to

autonomously navigate and make decisions, allowing them to solve mazes and transport

cargo through complex environments without requiring external cues or guidance.

The mechanism exploits chemo-hydrodynamic signals, produced by agents like active

droplets or colloids, to remotely sense and respond to their environment—similar to

echolocation. Our research paves the way for endowing autonomous, motile synthetic

agents with functionalities that have been so far exclusive to biological organisms.