#14 Self-propelled sand

A rock is a solid, but when we break it down into smaller pieces, we get a material that can flow like a liquid while still retaining some solid properties—this is known as granular matter. While granular matter is a well-known state of matter, things get even more interesting when we add activity to the particles. By driving these particles, we can create complex behaviors, much like those seen in systems such as bird flocks, bacterial colonies, swarms of robots, or even crowds of people. These are far-from-equilibrium systems that can exhibit fascinating emergent behaviors like clustering, swirling, flocking, or jamming.

In this internship, you will design and fabricate your own active granular matter particles to create a flexible testing platform for studying these behaviors. This will involve 3D modeling different particle structures and fabricating them using tools like 3D printing, molds, or laser cutting.