BIOTECHNOLOGY – BIOMIMETIC ROBOTS

BIOTECHNOLOGY – BIOMIMETIC ROBOTS

Abstract


Unlike most legged robotic systems built to date, even simple animals have the ability to quickly and robustly traverse through rough terrain and over large obstacles and gaps. Recent evidence from insect physiology research indicates that arthropods achieve this fast robust locomotion largely without relying on sensory feedback or reflex response. Instead, locomotion is the result of the interaction between a basic feed forward motor pattern and the visco-elastic properties of the mechanical system, termed “preflexes.”
Much recent interest in the field of walking and running robots has been placed on the adoption of principles found in animal locomotion. Indeed, the speed and versatility of legged animals when traversing over uncertain terrain provide a daunting precedent from which to draw inspiration. This bio-mimicry has taken several forms over the years. The most common instance is seen in the large number of walking robots that utilize six legs in a variety of gaits intended to maintain static stability. The proposed research is aimed at developing a new class of biologically inspired robots, which exhibit much greater robustness than today’s robots, for performing in unstructured environments. This new class of robots will be substantially more compliant and stable than current robots, and will take advantage of new developments in materials, fabrication technologies, sensors and actuators. Applications will include autonomous or semi-autonomous tasks such as reconnaissance and de-mining for small, insect-like robots and human interaction tasks at a larger scale. In this Paper, I shall :

* Outline some principles of locomotion taken from the study of small invertebrates,
* Apply these principles in the design of small running robots,
* Discuss the fabrication techniques for these robots, and
* Present a prototype of a Hexapedal Robot manufactured using the above techniques.