article published yes Antoine Aubret author Quentin Martinet author b37485a8-d343-11eb-a0e9-df8c484ef8ab0000-0002-2916-6632 Jérémie A Palacci author 8fb92548-2b22-11eb-b7c1-a3f0d08d7c7d0000-0002-7253-9465 JePa department Machines enabled the Industrial Revolution and are central to modern technological progress: A machine’s parts transmit forces, motion, and energy to one another in a predetermined manner. Today’s engineering frontier, building artificial micromachines that emulate the biological machinery of living organisms, requires faithful assembly and energy consumption at the microscale. Here, we demonstrate the programmable assembly of active particles into autonomous metamachines using optical templates. Metamachines, or machines made of machines, are stable, mobile and autonomous architectures, whose dynamics stems from the geometry. We use the interplay between anisotropic force generation of the active colloids with the control of their orientation by local geometry. This allows autonomous reprogramming of active particles of the metamachines to achieve multiple functions. It permits the modular assembly of metamachines by fusion, reconfiguration of metamachines and, we anticipate, a shift in focus of self-assembly towards active matter and reprogrammable materials. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/10280/10292/2021_NatComm_Aubret.pdf application/pdfno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Springer Nature2021 eng 2041-1723 34737315 00071475440001010.1038/s41467-021-26699-6 121 Aubret, Antoine, et al. “Metamachines of Pluripotent Colloids.” <i>Nature Communications</i>, vol. 12, no. 1, 6398, Springer Nature, 2021, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6">10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6</a>. Aubret, Antoine, Quentin Martinet, and Jérémie A Palacci. “Metamachines of Pluripotent Colloids.” <i>Nature Communications</i>. Springer Nature, 2021. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6</a>. Aubret, A., Martinet, Q., &#38; Palacci, J. A. (2021). Metamachines of pluripotent colloids. <i>Nature Communications</i>. Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6</a> A. Aubret, Q. Martinet, J.A. Palacci, Nature Communications 12 (2021). Aubret A, Martinet Q, Palacci JA. 2021. Metamachines of pluripotent colloids. Nature Communications. 12(1), 6398. Aubret A, Martinet Q, Palacci JA. Metamachines of pluripotent colloids. <i>Nature Communications</i>. 2021;12(1). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6">10.1038/s41467-021-26699-6</a> A. Aubret, Q. Martinet, and J. A. Palacci, “Metamachines of pluripotent colloids,” <i>Nature Communications</i>, vol. 12, no. 1. Springer Nature, 2021. 102802021-11-14T23:01:23Z2023-08-14T11:48:37Z