Terrain-aware slime mold networks: From biological self-organization principles to liquid-cooled thermal management systems

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This study investigates the morphogenetic mechanisms of Physarum polycephalum ’s self-organizing networks under terrain constraints through cultivation experiments and computational simulations. We developed a terrain-constrained material transport model to quantify how slope gradients regulate the topological evolution of vascular systems. A novel dual-mode regulatory mechanism based on nutrient diffusion gradients was proposed, supported by a multidimensional evaluation framework incorporating fractal dimensionality and transport efficiency metrics. Leveraging a terrain-conditioned network growth database, we established a U-KAN architecture-based morphological recognition model validated by cultivation experiments demonstrating precise identification of nutrient transporting veins. Analytical results revealed the slime mold’s terrain-perceptive capacity to form spatially adaptive transport architectures. The derived bioinspired computing paradigm enabled successful design of biomimetic microchannels exhibiting superior thermal dissipation performance. This work elucidates the dynamic bio-physical interplay between environmental constraints and biological self-organization, providing theoretical foundations and optimization principles for developing next-generation bioinspired microchannel heat exchangers. • Pioneered terrain fitness-weighted model quantifying environmental constraints on nutrient network dynamics. • Developed U-KAN framework revealing terrain-perception-driven material circulation optimization principles. • Vein-inspired microchannel heat exchanger exhibiting superior thermal dissipation performance.