The development of robot design inspired by nature

Shows the development of new robotics, away from skeletal based stiff limbs, to robots that have soft limbs. Pneumatics enables them to grip more accurately to be able to travel over rough terrain and to withstand any forceful impacts. The link between nature and the research is explained with examples from worms, elephant’s trunk and octopus’ tentacle. An easy-to-build simulation of the soft robotic arm is demonstrated to guide students in their own experiments. The soft robot is shown in action working across different terrains and with different objects. The safety implication of using a lightweight object is presented.