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The world around has become a lot more automated. One way is through the use of robots. Robots utilize coding to output physical movement and actions. So far, we've seen robot vacuums, robot dogs, and humanlike robots. Why are we so interested in them? Robots can complete repetitive tasks efficiently and quickly as long as we teach the bot. Robots are often inspired by humans or dogs, but what about other organisms? In this project, I am interested in exploring different types of bioinspired robots present today.
Introduction
Robots are becoming more integrated into our lives and are advancing. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electrical Engineers, a robot is defined as "an autonomous machine capable of sensing its environment, carrying out computations to make decisions, and performing actions in the real world." The earliest robot developed was in the early 1950s by George C. Devol who developed a "programmable manipulator called "Unimate" which was later sold to be modified into an industrial robot (Roberts 1998). Robots today are programmed to do much more and mirror certain aspects of humans or certain animals, and I am curious to see how much has biology-inspired robots have advanced and what applications are they used for.
Stickybot
Robot inspired by geckos can stick to walls. Source: https://ib.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/styles/primary_banner_cropped/public/primary_banner/geckobot.png?itok=FUDokHeB
Robert Fuller, a professor at UC- Berkeley, was interested in cockroach research, but due to lack of funding, Fuller took on a different project, "insect-like legged robots" (Nuwer 2013). Fuller was then interested in the mechanics of how does the geckos stick to surfaces. Prior to recent research, little was known about how geckos stick to walls so well. Geckos have toe pads that contain ridges and these ridges contain nearly two billion hair-like structures known as tendrils. Fuller and colleagues examined what chemical interactions do geckos use to stick to surfaces. Fuller and colleagues found that geckos have one of the strongest adhesive forces in their setae. An article published in 2002 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America examined what chemical interaction, Van der Waal or capillary action, is necessary for adhesion on a gecko setae. The adhesive properties were measured using micro-electrical mechanical systems. Autumn and colleagues found that geckos utilize Van der Waal interactions.
Stickybot is a robot gecko that can climb vertical glass walls created by Mark Cutkosky and colleagues at Stanford University. After a paper discovered geckos utilize Van der Waals interactions, the researchers were interested in incorporating this particular charge interaction in their gecko-inspired bot.
Stickybot plans to stay in the lab, but the research has helped to inspire others to research other organisms and serve engineering robots. Future applications of the gecko bot's strong adhesive properties include "removing space debris to creating landing perches unmanned aerial vehicles" (Nuwer 2013).
Snakebot
Video of SnakeBot in Action. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T62E-_pQt3c&feature=youtu.be
This bot was designed at Carnegie Mellon University at the Robotics Institute. Snakes have very flexible vertebrae allowing snakes to slither across uneven terrain and curl up around their prey during feeding and more. To mimic the slithering motion of snake, the robot is made of gaits with free range to rotate, roll, and twist. The research group at Carnegie Mellon was able to program the bot to "roll, slither, stand up to pull itself up over obstacles and climb a variety of objects and surfaces" (Nichols 2018).
The snake bot was recently tested in a rescue search after an earthquake in Mexico City in fall 2017. The bot was tested to do an "inspection task" to go around the site of the earthquake and provide video footage of tight spaces that rescue workers can not reach. Overall, the snakebot performed well during this test run and suggests high hopes for more applications for the snake bot in rescue situations and more. The snake bot was awarded "ground rescue bot of the year."
Future applications of the snake bot include relief rescue applications as climate change is a current big issue and increases the chances of natural disasters. Another example is space exploration because snakebots can reduce spacecraft weight to collect samples of other worlds and can move around on their own without assistance. Lastly, other applications include medicine.
Octobot
This robot was designed at Harvard University and is the first-ever soft-bodied robot. Inspired by an octopus's ability to configure itself to fit into small spaces. Current robots are very rigid and stiff but what if robots can be soft? Robots will be robust and modify according to the environment. The robot is made using 3D printing by adding silicone to a mold (Skylar 2016). The octobot is powered by "pneumatic controls by gas from hydrogen peroxide" and "simple electronic oscillator when hydrogen peroxide is a gas to inflate the robot" (Gonalez 2017). As the hydrogen peroxide gas moves from one limb, a feedback loop is created and the gas is redirected to another limb to move.
Currently, the robot only lasts for four to eight minutes and can not steer. Future modifications include one, adding sensors to the bot to detect objects and surroundings, and two, improving the fuel efficiency to increase or decrease the need for fuel.
The development of the octobot shows building soft-bodied robots is possible. Once the mechanics are finalized, future applications of the bot include "marine search and rescue, oceanic temperature sensing and military surveillance" (Price 2016).
Softbodied octobotSource: https://www.seas.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/styles/embedded_image_large/public/images/news/OctobotSquare1.jpg?itok=c9oifi34
Soft-bodied fish bot by SoFi.Source: https://news.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/news_article__image_gallery/public/images/201803/1SoFi%2520swimming%2520close-up.jpg?itok=2WZkMbnC
Fishbot
Another soft-bodied bot was developed by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). They developed a "soft robotic fish that can independently swim alongside real fish in the ocean" named Sofi (Conner-Simon 2018). The bot swam to depths as low as 50 feet and for 40 minutes. The bot contains a camera, motor, and lithium-ion battery. For the bot to appear streamlined as a fish, the bot was made from silicone rubber and flexible plastic including some parts that were 3D printed.
Future applications of fish-inspired robots are marine exploration and deep exploration of the oceans. Much of the ocean is unknown and being able to understand these oceans can help discover more about the history of oceans or identify new species.
Another fish-inspired bot was developed by Professor Robert Shepard at Cornell University in 2019. The bot was inspired by a lionfish.
In Conclusion...
During the research in the world of bio-inspired robotics, it is fascinating to see ways biology can be applied in engineering. Bioinspired robots similarly use biomimicry, but not exactly by taking important concepts from nature and using our knowledge from living organisms to improve current technologies. Bioinspired robots have future applications such as rescue, marine and space exploration, and more. Based on the bioinspired robots, I have explored, I noticed the bioinspired robots are more robust by improving range of motion, adhesion, and even flexibility. Thinking from a financial standpoint, some robot parts can be made using 3D printing which can make parts cheaper, customizable, and effective to make. Bioinspired robots hold a promising future to improve the field of robots and more. So, what organism of interest can be implemented in a robot?
Resources
Autumn K, Sitti M, Liang YA, Peattie AM, Hansen WR, Sponberg S, Kenny TW, Fearing R, Israelachvili JN, Full RJ. 2002. Evidence for van der Waals adhesion in gecko setae. PNAS. 99(19):12252–12256. doi:10.1073/pnas.192252799.
Autumn, K., Liang, Y., Hsieh, S. et al. Adhesive force of a single gecko foot-hair. Nature 405, 681–685 (2000). https://doi- org.ezproxy.ithaca.edu/10.1038/35015073
Gonzalez C. 2017 Aug 18. 7 Bio-Inspired Robots that Mimic Nature. Machine Design. https://www.machinedesign.com/mechanical-motion- systems/article/21835853/7-bioinspired-robots-that-mimic-nature.
Guizzo E. 2021 01. What Is a Robot? - ROBOTS: Your Guide to the World of Robotics. https://robots.ieee.org/learn/what-is-a-robot/.
Kempe-Ware J. Scientists prove how geckos stick, unlock secrets to making artificial gecko glue. EurekAlert! http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-08/lcc-sph082202.php.
Lewis & Clark College. Scientists prove how geckos stick, unlock secrets to making artificial gecko glue. EurekAlert! http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-08/lcc-sph082202.php.
NASA Ames Research Center. NASA Developing “Snakebot” To Explore And Build In Space. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001004072155.htm.
Nuwer R. 2013 Sep 17. The Evolution of the Bioinspired Robot | NOVA | PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/evolution-of-bioinspired- robots/.
Sklar J. 2016 Dec 8. Meet the World’s First Completely Soft Robot | MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/12/08/155290/meet-the-worlds-first-completely-soft-robot/.
Timmer J. 2016 Aug 24. Behold the octobot—a fully autonomous, soft-bodied robot. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/08/meet-the-octobot-a-fully-autonomous-soft-bodied-robot/.
Travers M, Choset H. Bioinspired robots: Examples and the state of the art | Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/bioinspired-robots- examples-and-state-art.
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