Obstacles need not impede cooperation in active matter

A theory shows that active agents can cooperate in the presence of disorder - a result that could inform the design of robots that organize on rough surfaces, or show how cells migrate en masse. Long-range order persists in 2D active systems with fixed disorder.

Automated summary

This theory suggests that active agents can cooperate even in the presence of disorder. This finding is important for the design of robots and the study of cell migration mechanisms.