Colloidal Active Matter Mimics the Behavior of Biological Microorganisms—An Overview

This article provides a review of the recent development of biomimicking behaviors in active colloids. While the behavior of biological microswimmers is undoubtedly influenced by physics, it is frequently guided and manipulated by active sensing processes. Understanding the respective influences of the surrounding environment can help to engineering the desired response also in artificial swimmers. More often than not, the achievement of biomimicking behavior requires the understanding of both biological and artificial microswimmers swimming mechanisms and the parameters inducing mechanosensory responses. The comparison of both classes of microswimmers provides with analogies in their dependence on fuels, interaction with boundaries and stimuli induced motion, or taxis. Artificial active matter is heavily inspired by its biological counterparts. Even though motion mechanisms might differ, a series of behaviors is observed in both realms. This review gives an overview of recent developments, physical origins, and intriguing parallels between the biological world and man‐made micromachines.