Self-learning mechanical circuits

Understand

Computation, mechanics and materials merge in biological systems, which can continually self-optimize through internal adaptivity across length scales, from cytoplasm and biofilms to animal herds.

• Recent interest in such material-based computation uses the principles of energy minimization, inertia and dissipation to solve optimization problems.
• Although specific computations can be performed using dynamical systems, current implementations of material computation lack the ability to self-learn.
• In particular, the inverse problem of designing self-learning mechanical systems which can use physical computations to continuously self-optimize remains poorly understood.