Théorique, numérique
The goal of this project is to reproduce and understand the mechanisms behind the locomotion of diatom chains. The student will use our numerical tools, and collaborate with experimentalists, to characterize the sliding mechanisms between cells and explore the various locomotion modes of the colonies. He/she will search for optimal locomotion modes in terms of mechanical efficiency and compare them with experimental observations. At longer term, he/she will use modern AI techniques, such as reinforcement learning, to find the optimal strategies to perform a specific task, such as reaching a target location.