| Project/Area Number |
19KK0261
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| Research Category |
Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Medium-sized Section 62:Applied informatics and related fields
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| Research Institution | Ochanomizu University |
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Principal Investigator |
オベル加藤 ナタナエル お茶の水女子大学, 基幹研究院, 講師 (10749659)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
川又 生吹 東北大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (30733977)
佐藤 佑介 九州工業大学, 大学院情報工学研究院, 准教授 (60830560)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-10-07 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2022)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥18,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,170,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥5,980,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,380,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000)
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| Keywords | Molecular Robotics / Collective Behaviors / Swarm / Microfluidics / Reaction-Diffusion / Quality-Diversity / Evolutionary Algorithm |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
This project aims to find optimal conditions for the emergence of robust cooperative behaviors in a swarm of molecular robots. During a past collaboration with the International collaborators, we implemented a swarm of one million molecular robots capable of simple aggregation. We will build onto that platform to test and implement new molecular robotic systems, using simulation and evolutionary optimization on the theoretical side, and in-vitro implementation on the experimental side. Furthermore, implementation in a standard fleet of small robots to bridge the reality gap.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
On the experimental side, our focus was on novel candidates for molecular robotic bodies: DNA droplets and water‐in‐water droplets with signaling and sensing capabilities. We also implemented a system for the dynamic production of molecular signals, thus completing the last elements needed for molecular robots according to the original plan.
On the theoretical side, we continued our work on the implementation of a molecular algorithm for area shape recognition in a swarm of (electronic) robots. We also extended our molecular computing model and designed a molecular oscillator that can be toggled between different limit cycles.
In terms of collaborations, we organized two trips to the French side: one hands-on research trip, working directly on the robotic implementation, and one short workshop, reporting on the progress of both sides and discussing further collaborations.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
We achieved all goals mentioned at the beginning of the year without particular delay. We published 10 journal articles and 1 international conference proceedings article based on those results.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
As the final year of the project, we want to both finalize some of the experimental designs created so far as well as investigate new ideas for future collaborations with the French side.
In particular, we want to strengthen our collaboration on molecular systems. We will focus on two types of systems: (a) swarms made of microtubules and kinesin, and (b) DNA hydrogel formation based on DNA-chemical reaction networks.
On the theoretical side, we plan to finish the swarm robotics implementation of our algorithm and move on to novel robots developped by the French side. We also plan to develop an efficient sequence design algorithm using combinatorial optimization techniques discussed with the French side during the last fiscal year. Finally, we will work on the modeling and simulation of systems designed on the experimental side.
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