Bio-inspired design allows engineers to learn from mechanisms that nature has tinkered with for millions of years.  The design process begins with the establishment of a clear goal.  The next step is to explore how the goal is accomplished in the natural world.  It is usually impossible to mimic natural designs exactly, so engineers must be able to extract the essential principles of the biological system.  The final step is to implement these principles robotically.

One example of a bio-inspired robot is a cockroach-like robot known as iSprawl, built by Sangbae Kim, PhD.  In the natural world, cockroaches move very quickly and are capable of traversing rough terrain.  They run with six thrusting legs, and they do not use any feedback loops to maintain their balance.  Instead, they run with a sprawled posture that allows their legs to function differentially.  The iSprawl robot mimics this running style and is capable of covering a distance 15 times its body length in one second.

Kim also created a climbing robot known as Stickybot based on the principles of gecko locomotion.  Geckos can climb almost any surface thanks to the directional adhesiveness of their feet.  A directional adhesive is something that only sticks when it is pulled in one direction.  A gecko’s feet are covered in tiny hairs, and these hairs bind to surfaces because of van der Waals forces.  Stickybot also uses ordered microstructures to produce directional adhesion in its feet.  The robot contains several under-actuated mechanisms in its feet and toes to allow for great flexibility. 

In the future, Kim hopes to further explore a technique known as shape deposition manufacturing.  This technique is capable of combining solid, liquid, and gaseous compounds to make one material of great compliance and great tensile strength.  Kim also hopes to continue exploring flexible power transmission strategies similar to those employed by iSprawl and Stickybot.

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