Biomimicry, imitating nature’s designs and processes to create products for humans, has been heralded as key to creating our sustainable future. Innovations such as self-cleaning paint based on lotus leaves, swimsuits made like sharkskin, and wind turbines in the likeness of whale flippers have all been inspired by parts of nature. But why stop there? A number of developers are capturing the movement and grace of entire animals, giving us robots that crawl, walk, and swim just like their biological counterparts. If this research one day spawns an uncomplaining robotic mule to carry our physical burdens or dogs that can save children from fiery buildings without fear of harm, man’s best friend may also be humanity’s own invention.
Aquajelly
These eight-tentacled swimmers were created in the likeness of a simple invertebrate, but capturing their movement was hardly simple. An electric motor powers two cranks that connect to eight rhombic joints, creating a wavelike motion. To move directionally, the jelly follows the swing of an internal pendulum. For now the AquaJelly is a work of art, and at the time of publication there were no immediate plans for a jelly-powered submersible.
StickyBot
This fabricated gecko-shaped robot can hang on any smooth vertical surface with its adhesive feet. To adhere, StickyBot’s feet are covered with a thin polymer made up of tiny bristles, along with branching “tendons” that distribute weight evenly across the robot foot. The gecko-shaped body is not just for looks—the long tail leverages against falling by pressing against the surface during a slip, allowing the foot to regain its grip.
The Fly
This paper clip–size machine, one of the smallest flying robots out there, beats its wings like a fly, flapping about 110 times per second and lifting all two thousandths of an ounce of its weight into the air. Right now researchers are tackling the problem of hovering. In the future the bots may be decked out with cameras and sensors to search for survivors amid rubble or quietly monitor your home. But until they get guidance systems, these swift bugs are best set free only in the lab.
