Quantifying the biomimicry gap in biohybrid systems

Biohybrid systems in which robotic lures interact with animals have become compelling tools for probing and identifying the mechanisms underlying collective animal behavior. One key challenge lies in the transfer of social interaction models from simulations to reality, using robotics to validate the modeling hypotheses. This challenge arises in bridging what we term the "biomimicry gap", which is caused by imperfect robotic replicas, communication cues and physics constrains not incorporated in the simulations that may elicit unrealistic behavioral responses in animals. In this work, we used a biomimetic lure of a rummy-nose tetra fish (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) and a neural network (NN) model for generating biomimetic social interactions. Through experiments with a biohybrid pair comprising a fish and the robotic lure, a pair of real fish, and simulations of pairs of fish, we demonstrate that our biohybrid system generates high-fidelity social interactions mirroring those of genuine fish pairs. Our analyses highlight that: 1) the lure and NN maintain minimal deviation in real-world interactions compared to simulations and fish-only experiments, 2) our NN controls the robot efficiently in real-time, and 3) a comprehensive validation is crucial to bridge the biomimicry gap, ensuring realistic biohybrid systems

Integration of Polyimide Flexible PCB Wings in Northeastern Aerobat

The principal aim of this Master's thesis is to propel the optimization of the membrane wing structure of the Northeastern Aerobat through origami techniques and enhancing its capacity for secure hovering within confined spaces. Bio-inspired drones offer distinctive capabilities that pave the way for innovative applications, encompassing wildlife monitoring, precision agriculture, search and rescue operations, as well as the augmentation of residential safety. The evolved noise-reduction mechanisms of birds and insects prove advantageous for drones utilized in tasks like surveillance and wildlife observation, ensuring operation devoid of disturbances. Traditional flying drones equipped with rotary or fixed wings encounter notable constraints when navigating narrow pathways. While rotary and fixed-wing systems are conventionally harnessed for surveillance and reconnaissance, the integration of onboard sensor suites within micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) has garnered interest in vigilantly monitoring hazardous scenarios in residential settings. Notwithstanding the agility and commendable fault tolerance exhibited by systems such as quadrotors in demanding conditions, their inflexible body structures impede collision tolerance, necessitating operational spaces free of collisions. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge in integrating soft and pliable materials into the design of such systems; however, the pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency curtails the utilization of excessively flexible materials for rotor blades or propellers. This thesis introduces a design that integrates polyimide flexible PCBs into the wings of the Aerobat and employs guard design incorporating feedback-driven stabilizers, enabling stable hovering flights within Northeastern's Robotics-Inspired Study and Experimentation (RISE) cage.Comment: 42 pages,20 figure

Advanced medical micro-robotics for early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions

Recent technological advances in micro-robotics have demonstrated their immense potential for biomedical applications. Emerging micro-robots have versatile sensing systems, flexible locomotion and dexterous manipulation capabilities that can significantly contribute to the healthcare system. Despite the appreciated and tangible benefits of medical micro-robotics, many challenges still remain. Here, we review the major challenges, current trends and significant achievements for developing versatile and intelligent micro-robotics with a focus on applications in early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. We also consider some recent emerging micro-robotic technologies that employ synthetic biology to support a new generation of living micro-robots. We expect to inspire future development of micro-robots toward clinical translation by identifying the roadblocks that need to be overcome

Visual-tactile sensory map calibration of a biomimetic whiskered robot

© 2016 IEEE. We present an adaptive filter model of cerebellar function applied to the calibration of a tactile sensory map to improve the accuracy of directed movements of a robotic manipulator. This is demonstrated using a platform called Bellabot that incorporates an array of biomimetic tactile whiskers, actuated using electro-active polymer artificial muscles, a camera to provide visual error feedback, and a standard industrial robotic manipulator. The algorithm learns to accommodate imperfections in the sensory map that may be as a result of poor manufacturing tolerances or damage to the sensory array. Such an ability is an important pre-requisite for robust tactile robotic systems operating in the real-world for extended periods of time. In this work the sensory maps have been purposely distorted in order to evaluate the performance of the algorithm

Wake-Based Locomotion Gait Design for Aerobat

Flying animals, such as bats, fly through their fluidic environment as they create air jets and form wake structures downstream of their flight path. Bats, in particular, dynamically morph their highly flexible and dexterous armwing to manipulate their fluidic environment which is key to their agility and flight efficiency. This paper presents the theoretical and numerical analysis of the wake-structure-based gait design inspired by bat flight for flapping robots using the notion of reduced-order models and unsteady aerodynamic model incorporating Wagner function. The objective of this paper is to introduce the notion of gait design for flapping robots by systematically searching the design space in the context of optimization. The solution found using our gait design framework was used to design and test a flapping robot

Living machines: An exhibition of biomimetic and biohybrid technologies and artworks

Living Machines is an international conference series concerned with the development of future real-world technologies that harness the principles underlying living systems and the flow of communication signals between living and artificial systems. The conference highlights the most exciting contemporary research in biomimetics—the development of ovel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems, and biohybrids—formed by combining a biological component—an existing living system—with an artificial, newly-engineered component. The concept of “Living Machine” captures the insight that useful artificial entities can be designed by copying life, and, at the same time, that we can understand biological organisms, including ourselves, as living machines “designed” by nature. Some of the most interesting new developments in biomimetic and biohybrid technologies, grouped under five themes, together with some striking examples of contemporary biomimetic or biohybrid art, have been selected for presentation at the Living Machines Exhibition, a one-day event at the Science Museum in London. Highlights of the 2013 Living Machines exhibition include: • A musical performance featuring the iCub humanoid robot • Mammal-like robots with whiskered touch systems • A robot model of fossilised animal behaviour from the dawn of life • Biomimetic medical devices including a wasp-like needle for minimally-invasive surgery • A robot that powers itself by digesting human waste • Micro-flying robots, worm, octopus, fish and mammal-like robots • Biohybrid clothing made with living cells and robots controlled by slime mould • Live visual art generated by the Artificial Intelligence AARON, created by Harold Cohen • A string quartet performing music generated by the Artificial Intelligence EMI, created by David Cope

A Perspective on Cephalopods Mimicry and Bioinspired Technologies toward Proprioceptive Autonomous Soft Robots

Octopus skin is an amazing source of inspiration for bioinspired sensors, actuators and control solutions in soft robotics. Soft organic materials, biomacromolecules and protein ingredients in octopus skin combined with a distributed intelligence, result in adaptive displays that can control emerging optical behavior, and 3D surface textures with rough geometries, with a remarkably high control speed (≈ms). To be able to replicate deformable and compliant materials capable of translating mechanical perturbations in molecular and structural chromogenic outputs, could be a glorious achievement in materials science and in the technological field. Soft robots are suitable platforms for soft multi-responsive materials, which can provide them with improved mechanical proprioception and related smarter behaviors. Indeed, a system provided with a “learning and recognition” functions, and a constitutive “mechanical” and “material intelligence” can result in an improved morphological adaptation in multi-variate environments responding to external and internal stimuli. This review aims to explore challenges and opportunities related to smart and chromogenic responsive materials for adaptive displays, reconfigurable and programmable soft skin, proprioceptive sensing system, and synthetic nervous control units for data processing, toward autonomous soft robots able to communicate and interact with users in open-world scenarios

Advanced medical micro-robotics for early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions

Recent technological advances in micro-robotics have demonstrated their immense potential for biomedical applications. Emerging micro-robots have versatile sensing systems, flexible locomotion and dexterous manipulation capabilities that can significantly contribute to the healthcare system. Despite the appreciated and tangible benefits of medical micro-robotics, many challenges still remain. Here, we review the major challenges, current trends and significant achievements for developing versatile and intelligent micro-robotics with a focus on applications in early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. We also consider some recent emerging micro-robotic technologies that employ synthetic biology to support a new generation of living micro-robots. We expect to inspire future development of micro-robots toward clinical translation by identifying the roadblocks that need to be overcome

Soft manipulators and grippers: A review

Soft robotics is a growing area of research which utilizes the compliance and adaptability of soft structures to develop highly adaptive robotics for soft interactions. One area in which soft robotics has the ability to make significant impact is in the development of soft grippers and manipulators. With an increased requirement for automation, robotics systems are required to perform task in unstructured and not well defined environments; conditions which conventional rigid robotics are not best suited. This requires a paradigm shift in the methods and materials used to develop robots such that they can adapt to and work safely in human environments. One solution to this is soft robotics, which enables soft interactions with the surroundings while maintaining the ability to apply significant force. This review paper assesses the current materials and methods, actuation methods and sensors which are used in the development of soft manipulators. The achievements and shortcomings of recent technology in these key areas are evaluated, and this paper concludes with a discussion on the potential impacts of soft manipulators on industry and society

Light‐Powered Microrobots: Challenges and Opportunities for Hard and Soft Responsive Microswimmers

Worldwide research in microrobotics has exploded in the past two decades, leading to the development of microrobots propelled in various manners. Despite significant advances in the field and successful demonstration of a wide range of applications, microrobots have yet to become the preferred choice outside a laboratory environment. After introducing available microrobotic propulsion and control mechanisms, microrobots that are manufactured and powered by light are focused herein. Referring to pioneering works and recent interesting examples, light is presented not only as a fabrication tool, by means of twophoton polymerization direct laser writing, but also as an actuator for microrobots in both hard and soft stimuli–responsive polymers. In this scenario, a number of challenges that yet prevent polymeric light-powered microrobots from reaching their full potential are identified, whereas potential solutions to overcome said challenges are suggested. As an outlook, a number of real-world applications that light-powered microrobots should be particularly suited for are mentioned, together with the advances needed for them to achieve such purposes. An interdisciplinary approach combining materials science, microfabrication, photonics, and data science should be conducive to the next generation of microrobots and will ultimately foster the translation of microrobotic applications into the real world