Synergetic Agents From Multi-Robot Systems to Molecular Robotics

A first in the topic of molecular robotics based on a quantum field theoretic approach. This visionary book will inspire the development of molecular machines for medicinal or environmental applications. From the founder of synergetic theory (Haken) and the authors of the Haken-Levi principle, this book addresses both multi-robot systems and miniaturization to the nano-scale. Written with clear structure and language, catering to the needs of the readers who may come not only from physics and engineering, but also chemistry, mathematics or information theory. The reader also becomes acquainted with the appropriate modeling of the walking behavior of single molecular robots and their collective behavior. The book includes a derivation of the quantum version of the Haken-Levi principle and a detailed model of a molecular robot and hence is open to all who want to familiarize themselves with the basic principles and theoretical tools of the fascinating field of synergetic agents.

Hermann Haken is Professor of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Stuttgart. He is known as the founder of synergetics. His research has been in nonlinear optics (in particular laser physics), solid state physics, statistical physics, and group theory. After the implementation of the first laser in 1960, Professor Haken developed his institute to an international center for laser theory. The interpretation of the laser principles as self organization of non equilibrium systems paved the way to the development of synergetics, of which Haken is recognized as the founder. Hermann Haken has been visiting professor or guest scientist in England, France, Japan, USA, Russia, and China. He is the author of some 23 textbooks and monographs that cover an impressive number of topics from laser physics to synergetics, and editor of a book series in synergetics. For his pathbreaking work and his influence on academic research, he has been awarded many-times. Among others, he is member of the Order "Pour le merite" and received the Max Planck Medal in 1990.

Paul Levi is Full Professor for Informatics in the Institute for Parallel and Distributed Systems of the University of Stuttgart, Germany. He graduated in physics and computer science and became a senior research scientist in informatics and robotics, and Head of the Department of Technical Expert Systems and Robotics at the University of Karlsruhe. In 1988 he was appointed Professor at the Technical University of Munich, and scientific member of the Bavarian Center for Knowledge-Based Systems. Later on he served as Director of the Institute for Parallel and Distributed High Performance Computers at the University of Stuttgart. He is Member of the Management Board of the Centre for Computer Science (FZI) and Director of the Division Intelligent Systems and Production Engineering (ISPE), Karlsruhe, Germany.
Paul Levi's main research fields include computer vision, robotics, distributed AI and multi-agent systems. He has authored and co-authored both textbooks and monographs.

Introduction
Part I: Classical synergetic agents
1. In search for general principles
2. Multi-robot action I
3. Multi-robot action II: Extended configurations
Part II: Quantum synergetic agents
4. Molecular robotics and quantum field theory
5. Quantum theory of robotic motion and chemical interactions
6. Applications to molecular processes
7. Molecular transport along one-dimensional periodic structures
8. A topic in quantum biology
9. Quantum information
10. Molecular robots
Appendix: The meaning of expectation values and correlation functions of Bose and Fermi operators
References