Jan Wehr

Papers

Total Citations

143

H-Index

About

Jan Wehr is a leading researcher in statistical physics and active matter, whose work bridges theory, simulation, and experiment to decode emergent collective behaviors. His primary focus lies in understanding how microscopic rules—particularly sensorial delays and diffusion—govern the macroscopic dynamics of self-propelled systems. Wehr’s most influential contribution is his pioneering study of engineered sensorial delays to control phototaxis in robotic swarms. His landmark 2016 paper, with 91 citations, demonstrates how delaying an individual’s response to light can fundamentally alter collective motion, offering a powerful tool for programming swarm intelligence. Expanding this, his 2018 work (52 citations) disentangles the independent roles of translational and rotational diffusion delays, revealing a rich interplay that can tune robots from coherent aggregation to chaotic dispersal. These insights have profound implications for designing adaptive robotic swarms and understanding biological systems like bacterial colonies. Wehr’s work is celebrated for its elegant synthesis of theoretical modeling and hands-on robotics, making complex phenomena accessible and actionable. His research not only advances fundamental physics but also provides a practical framework for engineering responsive, decentralized systems.