Nature Holds Clues to Future Robots
2014.05.22
Visionary : Sang-Bae Kim
Learn from Nature :
Innovation toward Future Robots by Principle Extraction from Biology
In order to usher in the age of ‘humanistic robots’, we need to turn to nature. In small ways and large, examples abound. Rescue robots in disaster zones and assistive robots for the mobility-impaired all embody the principles of animal locomotion. For the ideas and inspirations from nature to materialize themselves as interdisciplinary innovations, we need to begin at the beginning – understanding the basic principles. Sangbae Kim, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Biomimetic Robotics Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, introduces a new robotic innovation, ‘principle extraction’ from biology. This innovation is epitomized by his creations including Stickybot that employs the world’s first synthetic directional dry adhesive inspired by geckos, and the MIT Cheetah, designed after the fastest land animal. What does it mean to design robots that are human-oriented and what can we learn from those robots? Nature surely holds important clues to those questions, but it is our innovative wisdom that gives us the answers that are not only technologically smart but more caring and empowering.