Active gyrotactic stability of microswimmers using hydromechanical signals

Abstract

Using machine learning, we find a simple yet efficient strategy for microswimmers to actively adjust their swimming direction in response to hydromechanical signals, allowing robust vertical migration in turbulence. In contrast, passive bottom-heavy swimmers migrate much slower upwards and settle much slower downwards. Our results may be important to understand daily long-range vertical migration of plankton in the turbulent ocean, or to engineer efficient strategies for fabricated microswimmers.

Topics & Concepts