Intro to Biomimetic Robotics

By Leila Maleki

[“What I cannot build, I cannot understand.”

Professor Richard Feynman, influential trailblazer of Physics]

Biomimetic can be broken down into two key phrases: Bio & Mimetic

Bio → prefix, coming from the Greek word ‘bios’ meaning ‘life’ 🧬

Mimetic → relating to, or practicing, ‘mimesis’ (philosophical term meaning to interpret, mimic, or imitate) 🪢

Biomimetics is the study of nature's designs and processes to inspire the creation of new materials, technologies, and solutions to human problems!

Nothing beats BIOLOGY which is why we use biomimetic structures to solve a LOT of our human problems… 

Biological (natural) structures 🌿 > Anthropogenic (human) structures 🕺

There are several SECTORS of Biomimetics Robotics… here are a few: 

LOCOMOTION AND MOBILITY - inspired by how animals move 🐕

1. Quadrupeds and Hexapods: MIT Cheetah Bot 3 

2. Aquatic Robotics: MIT SoFi Robot Fish

3. Ornithopters: Festo SmartBird

MANIPULATION AND GRASPING - inspired by animal/object interactions🐙

1. Octopus-Inspired Soft Robotics: SpiRobs Octopus Robot-Gripper

2. Prosthetics: CoApt MyoElectric Prosthetic

NEURAL CONTROL AND LEARNING - inspired by the nervous system 🧠 

1. Neuromorphic Engineering: BrainChip brain-inspired processor 

2. Reinforcement Learning: Nvidia’s IsaacSim training simulation

SWARM ROBOTICS - inspired by group-think behavior in nature 🐝

1. Bee Swarming: Festo’s autonomous BionicBee

2. Schooling Algorithms: SLDPSO-TA fish-schooling swarm controller

And all of these different types of biomimetic robotics contribute to innovations in the aerial systems industry, aquatics industry, and help even more on-land! 

To first dive into Biomimetic Robotics, having a foundational understanding of where to start or the different tools to look for is important! 

YOUR GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED IN BIOMIMETIC ROBOTICS: 🦾

1. Microcontrollers and Motherboards: Enable motor control and real-time processing for your project 🧑‍💻

   1. Arduino (Uno, Mega, Nano): These boards are good bases to start with for projects. Open Source libraries, and easy to navigate for beginners. This is your ‘main’ board of the project

   2. Raspberry Pi: Linux-based program, are good bases for processing AI/ML frameworks. Intermediate-level use.

2. Actuators: Drive the motion of your design to mimic joints + more 🦵

   1. Servo Motors: Ideal for joint movements, lesser strength

   2. DC Motors & Gearboxes: Used for rotational movement and mobility within bio-inspired robots

   3. BLDC Motors & ESCs: Used for high speed/high torque movement like flapping or propulsion

3. Sensors: Mimic biological sensing systems 🫳

   1. MPU5060: Traditional sensor used for positional data (Gyroscope/Accelerometer)

   2. Camera Modules (RPCam): Enable vision-based navigation and object detection

   3. Force-Sensitive Resistors: Simulate touch and sensory feedback

4. Design Tools: Creating the structures used for your project 📝

   1. Fusion360/SolidWorks/Onshape: 3D CADing platforms

   2. KiCad/EasyEDA: Printed Circuit Board configuring 

   3. 3D Printers/CNC Machines: Creation and cut of physical prototypes

And while this isn’t everything, it serves a good base to dive into how YOU want to explore the world of biomimetic robotics! For me personally, building will always triumph over planning- get into engineering and experiment! 

Dive into some more: 

“Biomimetic Robotics.” ScienceDirect Journal Directory Biomimetic Robotics - ScienceDirect Journals

“50 of the World’s Best Biomimicry Examples (So Far).” 1 Jan. 2025 Biomimetic Robotics Examples - LearnBiomimicry