Innovating Works

Self-Flow

Financiado
Self-contracting vascular networks: From fluid transport to autonomous locomotio...
Self-contracting vascular networks: From fluid transport to autonomous locomotion of soft materials Liquid flows in vascular networks are among the most effective ways to transport matter and information for life. Artificial vascular networks have mimicked this strategy without reproducing the same level of autonomy and adaptabi... Liquid flows in vascular networks are among the most effective ways to transport matter and information for life. Artificial vascular networks have mimicked this strategy without reproducing the same level of autonomy and adaptability. From animals to fungi, the most adaptable organisms control fluid transport with vessels that actively contract upon local sensing of stimuli. This adaptative fluid transport enables functionalities in organisms such as autonomous locomotion toward objectives. How are the orientation and rate of fluid flows controlled by self-contractions? How do these self-contracting networks tailor autonomous functionalities? So far, we do not know. Studies on organisms are limited to observations and lack the systematical characterizations required to apply these observations to artificial materials. Self-Flow hypothesizes that artificial vascular networks containing distributed sensors and actuators can decipher how self-contractions enable adaptable fluid transport. From there, materials containing self-contracting artificial vascular networks will enable systematical studies on the emergence of autonomous functionalities. With this experimental asset reinforced by theoretical and numerical models, my group and I will address the following questions: • Q1 DELIVER: How do self-contractions transport fluids across networks? • Q2 ADAPT: How do self-contractions autonomously adapt to the need of the network? • Q3 BEHAVE: How do self-contractions enable living matter functionalities? Self-Flow will combine active matter and mechanistic approaches to model fluid transport in self-contracting vascular networks. I will use these results to design active vascularized materials that use fluid transfer to autonomously locomote towards objectives and exchange information with their pairs. This will open the way to autonomous robots that can change shape, split or recombine like soft materials and develop functionalities beyond locomotion. ver más
31/10/2028
1M€
Duración del proyecto: 60 meses Fecha Inicio: 2023-10-18
Fecha Fin: 2028-10-31

Línea de financiación: concedida

El organismo HORIZON EUROPE notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2023-10-18
Línea de financiación objetivo El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
ERC-2023-STG: ERC STARTING GRANTS
Cerrada hace 2 años
Presupuesto El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a 1M€
Líder del proyecto
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE... No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico TRL 4-5