![]() In addition, he has overseen the construction of biologically inspired robots that have helped roboticists better understand mechanized locomotion as well as offered biologists better insight into the natural world. He has played a major role in several seminal works in the area of bioinspired robots throughout his career (many in collaboration with Bob Full). ![]() His ground-breaking insight into biologically inspired control has naturally influenced his robot’s designs.ĭan Koditschek’s name is synonymous with robot control, especially in the area of dynamic legged locomotion. He is probably best known for his original work on serpentine locomotion, both analyzing the fundamental physics governing how biological snakes move as well as employing the lessons learned therein to create and control numerous mechanisms over the years. Shigeo Hirose is one of the early pioneers in the creation of numerous biologically inspired robotic systems that specialize in weaving their way through complex terrains. In addition to novel designs and methods for constructing robot morphologies, biology also inspires us to design improved software to enable robots to better interact with complex environments. ![]() His specific interests include new micro- and mesoscale manufacturing techniques, fluid mechanics of flapping wings, control of sensor-limited and computation-limited systems, active soft materials, and morphable soft-bodied robots. His work uses microfabrication techniques to develop biologically inspired robots with features on the micrometer to centimeter scales. Īt Harvard University, Rob Wood also develops novel robotic mechanisms at very small scales. Fearing’s research ranges from the fundamental understanding of mechanical principles to novel fabrication techniques and system integration for autonomous machines. Fearing’s work harnesses features of animal manipulation, locomotion, sensing, actuation, mechanics, dynamics, and control strategies to radically improve robotic capabilities, especially at very small scales. His collaborator Ron Fearing, also at Berkeley, developed new MEMS manufacturing technology to replicate the capabilities of geckos’ feet. He collaborates with a number of different engineers and other scientists to elucidate biological principles that inspire the design of advanced robotic components, control algorithms, and novel system designs.įull’s work on geckos lead to a fundamental understanding of how their feet stick to nearly any surface and yet not are not encumbered by dirt and other particles. Full’s research interest is primarily in comparative biomechanics and physiology. His group at Berkeley studies cockroaches, crabs, and geckos, just to name a few. In our opinion, the single biggest influence in biological inspiration is Bob Full. In this time, we have built a number of different robots but are perhaps best known for novel snake-like robots (see ). Instead, we focus the attention of this short comment on what works have specifically inspired our research in the Biorobotics lab at Carnegie Mellon University over the past 20 years. To help address these fundamental questions, the biologically inspired robotics community has to date produced many great works, far too many to summarize in one brief article. The right choice of where to focus on this spectrum remains an open question. Going even deeper, one can try to create new muscle-like actuators and controllers based on neural networks in an attempt to accurately copy biological function and control. However, we can go deeper: One can study the fundamental macroscopic principles that can be transferred from muscles and skeleton to conventional motors and mechanical linkages. On the surface, one can see a snake, say, on a hike in the woods and then build an elongated mechanical creature. The question then becomes: How deeply should we look at biology? Take the transition from snake to snake robot as an example. This suggests the biological world still has much in the way of suggestions for how to build, design, and program robotic systems whose locomotive capabilities will far outpace what is possible today. Despite numerous achievements, engineers and scientists have yet to closely replicate the grace and fluidity of animal movement. Our attempts to mimic animal motion have resulted in many technological advances that have revolutionized how manmade machines move through air, in water, and over land.
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