Bio-Inspired Robotics

Modern robotic technologies have enabled robots to operate in a variety of unstructured and dynamically-changing environments, in addition to traditional structured environments. Robots have, thus, become an important element in our everyday lives. One key approach to develop such intelligent and autonomous robots is to draw inspiration from biological systems. Biological structure, mechanisms, and underlying principles have the potential to provide new ideas to support the improvement of conventional robotic designs and control. Such biological principles usually originate from animal or even plant models, for robots, which can sense, think, walk, swim, crawl, jump or even fly. Thus, it is believed that these bio-inspired methods are becoming increasingly important in the face of complex applications. Bio-inspired robotics is leading to the study of innovative structures and computing with sensory–motor coordination and learning to achieve intelligence, flexibility, stability, and adaptation for emergent robotic applications, such as manipulation, learning, and control. This Special Issue invites original papers of innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, and novel applications and business models relevant to the selected topics of ``Bio-Inspired Robotics''. Bio-Inspired Robotics is a broad topic and an ongoing expanding field. This Special Issue collates 30 papers that address some of the important challenges and opportunities in this broad and expanding field

Technologies Enabling Exploration of Skylights, Lava Tubes and Caves

Robotic exploration of skylights and caves can seek out life, investigate geology and origins, and open the subsurface of other worlds to humankind. However, exploration of these features is a daunting venture. Planetary voids present perilous terrain that requires innovative technologies for access, exploration, and modeling. This research developed technologies for venturing underground and conceived mission architectures for robotic expeditions that explore skylights, lava tubes and caves. The investigation identified effective designs for mobile robot architecture to explore sub-planetary features. Results provide insight into mission architectures, skylight reconnaissance and modeling, robot configuration and operations, and subsurface sensing and modeling. These are developed as key enablers for robotic missions to explore planetary caves. These results are compiled to generate "Spelunker", a prototype mission concept to explore a lunar skylight and cave. The Spelunker mission specifies safe landing on the rim of a skylight, tethered descent of a power and communications hub, and autonomous cave exploration by hybrid driving/hopping robots. A technology roadmap was generated identifying the maturation path for enabling technologies for this and similar missions

Nature in Megacities: São Paulo/Brazil - A Case Study

Die vorliegende Studie analysiert Umweltdienstleistungen von städtischer Vegetation innerhalb der Stadtgrenzen einer Megacity durch maßstabsübergreifende Modellierung und versucht ihren Nutzen näherungsweise zu quantifizieren. Aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln werden die Vorteile (sowie die Herausforderungen) von in Städte eingebetteter Natur für die Bevölkerung aufgezeigt. Aus geographischer Sicht wird, hier am Fallbeispiel der Stadt São Paulo/ Brasilien, das Profil der Megastädte in den niedrigen (tropischen) Breiten betrachtet. Im allgemeinen wird die städtische Vegetation dort von Bevölkerung, Regierungen und ökonomischen Strukturen vernachlässigt. Sie ist zwar spärlich vorhanden, wird aber kaum bewusst wahrgenommen.Während der kurzen Geschichte rasanter Verstädterung, die von massiver Umweltzerstörung begleitet ist, wird Stadtgrün im Disput um den Raum in Städten wie São Paulo zum wahren Luxus. Nicht als Rückentwicklung, sondern als Fortschritt, wird gezeigt, daß ein Ideal durch die Verflechtung zwischen Natur und Stadt dargestellt würde. Die näherungsweise Quantifizierung der Variationen zwischen aktuellem Szenario und begrünten Szenarien zeigt die Notwendigkeit das städtische Biom als ein vom Menschen dominiertes Ökosystem neu zu überdenken. Die Nutzen von städtischer Vegetation sind facettenreich. Diese Arbeit detailliert Vegetation als Katalysator des klimatischen und ökologischen Gleichgewichtes. Des weiteren behandlt sie aktuelle Themen wie Klimawandel, Energieeffizienz und thermische Behaglichkeit, sowie die Reinigung der natürlichen Ressourcen Boden, Wasser und Luft. Insbesondere da derzeit keine effizienten technischen Lösungen existieren, um die Umweltleistungen der Vegetation zu ersetzten. Diese Nutzen tragen zur Lebensqualität und in kontrastreichen Megastädten insbesondere zu sozio-ökologischer Gerechtigkeit bei. Die Vegetation hat in Städten zwei wichtige Dimensionen. Die funktionale Seite bringt konkrete, meßbare Umweltnutzen. Aus symbolischer Sicht repräsentiert Vegetation Natur in Städten, sowie ursprüngliche Naturverbundenheit des Menschen. Zusammenfassend verteidigt die Studie die Wichtigkeit und Wertschätzung von Natur und die vereinigten Anstrengung für wirklich grüne Städte, u.a. weil diese Arbeit zeigt, dass finanzielle Investitionen in städtische Vegetation sich direkt auf die Kosten für das Gesundheitssystem und die Infrastruktur auswirken. Die Stadtregierung São Paulo investierte 2008 umgerechnet 122 Millionen Euro (einhundertzweiundzwanzig Millionen Euro) in Stadtgrün (und Umwelt), dass jährlich mindestens 665 Millionen Euro (Sechshunderfünfundsechzig Millionen Euro) einspart. D.h. mit anderen Worten, dass jeder Euro 1 der in Pflanzung und Pflege von Stadtgrün investiert wird, der Gesellschaft, und damit letzendlich den Einwohnern São Paulos, Ausgaben von mindestens 5 Euro für Gesundheit, den Bau von Regenwasserrückhaltebecken, Energie etc. einspart.The present study analysis the environmental benefits of urban vegetation within the municipal boundary of a megacity through multi scale integrated modelling to estimate its benefits approximately. The advantages (and challenges) that Nature, inserted into cities, offers to the population are observed from different viewpoints. As geographical reference the profile of megacities located in low (tropical) latitudes was observed, in a case study on the city of São Paulo/ Brazil. Commonly, urban vegetation is overlooked by local people, governments and economical structures. Although sparse vegetation exists, it is hardly recognized. Along the brief history of rapid urbanization which is accompanied by massive environmental degradation, urban green becomes, in the dispute for space, a true luxury in cities like São Paulo. Not as retrogression but as advance, it demonstrates that the integration between nature and city would be desirable. The approximated quantification of the variations which occur between actual scenario and greened scenarios shows the need to rethink the urban biome as a man-dominated ecosystem. The benefits of the urban vegetation are diverse. This work details plants as agents of climatic and ecosystem balance and performance. It also approaches current issues like climate change, energy efficiency and thermal comfort, as well as the purification of natural resources, through the treatment of water, soil and air. Especially because at present no efficient technical solutions exist, that could substitute the environmental services of the vegetation. These benefits contribute to quality of life and increase socio-environmental equity especially important in high-contrast megacities. The vegetation assumes two important roles in cities. The functional dimension brings concrete and measurable benefits to the environment. From a symbolic vision, vegetation represents Nature in cities, approximating humans to their origins. Conclusively the study defends the importance of the valorization of Nature and of the united efforts for literally green cities because it proves that financial investment in urban vegetation has direct effects on the costs destined to the areas of health and infrastructure. The City of São Paulo, invested in 2008 about US$180 million (one hundred and eighty million dollars) in urban green (and environment) which tends to save US$ 980 million (nine hundred and eighty million dollars) of expenses annually. In other words, for each US$1 invested in planting and maintenance of urban green, the society saves at least US$ 5 of expenses in health, construction of French drains, energy etc