Bio-Inspired Approaches—a Leverage for Robotics

Overview & Synopsis

The field of bio-inspired approaches (also known as biomimetics or biomimicry) is a design approach in which a product or process is inspired by elements of nature, such as plants or animals. Bio-inspired approaches serve as inspiration and motivation for many engineers and designers in terms of efforts to identify unexpected solutions to problems. These approaches have made great inroads in the aerospace, marine, and automotive industries. The domains of bio-inspiration and bio-mimetics have also been the focus of a number of studies in the field of robotics. There are several examples of their use in the literature, including their implementation in snake-type robots for underwater inspection or in worm-type systems for industrial pipeline inspections. This Special Issue compiles and presents recent advancements in the domain of bio-inspired robotics and their potential applications in industry. This will help researchers from all communities understand the relevance of bio-inspiration in robotics and serve as a platform for the application of these cutting-edge approaches in other fields.