Biohybrid and Organic Robotics, Explained
Watch this video to hear Victoria Webster-Wood explain her work in the Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group. The team is creating robots that can safely enter sensitive ecosystems.
Learn more about the work of CMU's Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group.
Transcript
00:00:08 In the biohybrid and an organic robotics group, we study bio-inspired, biodegradable, and biohybrid robotics. We have two key thrust areas, robots as models for biology and biology as materials for robots. First, we build highly biomimetic robots trying to make the robot match an animal model as close as possible so that we can use the robot to address questions about how the nervous system and the muscles coordinate complex behavior. In the second thrust, we're really interested in using farmable biologically derived materials to create more sustainable robots. In this work, we use techniques from tissue engineering to bioprint muscle-based actuators for robots, as well as plant-derived materials to create completely biodegradable robots for aquatic applications. The research in the biohybrid organic robotics group is helping us understand how animals are so adept at moving around and navigating in complex terrains,
00:01:07 and ultimately translating our understanding from those systems to build autonomous robots that are more environmentally friendly for deployment in sensitive ecosystems. Ultimately, our research helps contribute to our understanding of neuroscience, morphological computation, soft robotics, and sustainable engineering. One area that my lab is particularly interested in is robots for aquatic applications in sensitive ecosystems. When you deploy robots in these types of environments, safety is critical. Traditional rigid robots may damage local plant life or even risk harming small animals. In contrast, soft robotics provides a lot of inherent safety because of its natural compliance, it's squishiness. When we build these systems with soft actuators, we can address many of these safety issues. However, existing soft actuators are typically made of rubbers and plastics,
00:02:05 and so if the robot gets lost or damaged, these materials may contaminate that environment. To overcome these challenges, my group is currently collaborating with Dr. Adam Feinberg in the biomedical engineering department here at CMU in order to translate the fresh bioprinting platform towards soft robotics. Using fresh bioprinting with these seaweed-derived materials, we've been able to create actuators that bend, extend, and contract little tiny robotic grippers and even miniature robotic arms. Moving forward, we'll be looking to expand this technique to also be able to create pumps, electronics, and controllers using biodegradable materials. These types of actuators are even safely edible by marine invertebrates. And so this work is laying the foundation for future soft robots that can be made completely from farmable, sustainable materials, degrade naturally in the environment,
00:03:01 and provide minimal environmental impact when you deploy them in sensitive ecosystems. Some of the key challenges in biomimetic and biohybrid robotics right now are really in the area of actuators and materials. When we're building biomimetic robots, we build those systems using synthetic materials for the actuators, but we're trying to get those actuators to behave like natural muscle, and the mechanics and dynamics just don't match. When we build biohybrid robots, we can use the muscle directly, and so we get all those great dynamical properties for free, essentially. There's a clear need for support systems and packaging so that those actuators can actually be deployed on robotic systems. Our research is advancing our understanding of how animal neuromuscular systems work, translating these findings to build better soft robots and moving us towards a future of farmable sustainable robotic systems.