Completely soft or completely rigid structures are almost non-existent in biological entities capable of locomotion, except in microscale. Yet, most conventional mobile robots are made of entirely rigid parts or structures. Even bio-inspired robots of the yesteryear are often made from rigid materials and structures. Research on soft robots or hybrid soft/hard robots can generate an answer to this dilemma; with the use of soft materials, mechanisms, and fabrication methods, researchers can build bio-inspired robots that can exploit compliance to make better-moving robots. Robots that flap their wings at their resonance frequency, robots that can climb over obstacles by exploiting the compliance of its body or energy efficient locomotion of compliant legged robots are some examples to such robots.
Biological entities often utilize their body or joint compliances to mechanically adapt to their environments during locomotion or to locomote in a more efficient, faster, or more agile manner. With this Research Topic, we would like to highlight robots that work in a similar manner; robots that exploit compliant body or joint compliance for a better locomotion performance. This can include robots with locomotion capabilities on land, in air, or in water, as well as bio-inspired soft robotic components for locomotion purposes such as tactile, force sensors, or soft artificial muscles. Involvement of control methods that allow the robot to exploit its body compliance is also an important problem to tackle in a path towards bio-inspired soft robots capable of better locomotion.
The topics welcome in this Research Topic include but are not limited to:
• Soft mechanisms for robot locomotion
• Bio-inspired, legged, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, crawling, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, swimming, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, aerial, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired control strategies for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Bio-inspired actuation strategies / actuators for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Bio-inspired sensing strategies / sensors for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Locomotion strategies for bio-inspired soft/hybrid robots
• Locomotion capabilities and limitations of bio-inspired soft/hybrid robots
• Embodied intelligence in soft/compliant locomotion
• Adaptive morphology in soft/compliant locomotion
• Energy efficient soft/compliant locomotion
• Learning of soft/compliant locomotion behaviors
• Evolving soft/compliant locomotion
Completely soft or completely rigid structures are almost non-existent in biological entities capable of locomotion, except in microscale. Yet, most conventional mobile robots are made of entirely rigid parts or structures. Even bio-inspired robots of the yesteryear are often made from rigid materials and structures. Research on soft robots or hybrid soft/hard robots can generate an answer to this dilemma; with the use of soft materials, mechanisms, and fabrication methods, researchers can build bio-inspired robots that can exploit compliance to make better-moving robots. Robots that flap their wings at their resonance frequency, robots that can climb over obstacles by exploiting the compliance of its body or energy efficient locomotion of compliant legged robots are some examples to such robots.
Biological entities often utilize their body or joint compliances to mechanically adapt to their environments during locomotion or to locomote in a more efficient, faster, or more agile manner. With this Research Topic, we would like to highlight robots that work in a similar manner; robots that exploit compliant body or joint compliance for a better locomotion performance. This can include robots with locomotion capabilities on land, in air, or in water, as well as bio-inspired soft robotic components for locomotion purposes such as tactile, force sensors, or soft artificial muscles. Involvement of control methods that allow the robot to exploit its body compliance is also an important problem to tackle in a path towards bio-inspired soft robots capable of better locomotion.
The topics welcome in this Research Topic include but are not limited to:
• Soft mechanisms for robot locomotion
• Bio-inspired, legged, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, crawling, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, swimming, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired, aerial, soft/hybrid robots
• Bio-inspired control strategies for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Bio-inspired actuation strategies / actuators for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Bio-inspired sensing strategies / sensors for soft/hybrid robots locomotion
• Locomotion strategies for bio-inspired soft/hybrid robots
• Locomotion capabilities and limitations of bio-inspired soft/hybrid robots
• Embodied intelligence in soft/compliant locomotion
• Adaptive morphology in soft/compliant locomotion
• Energy efficient soft/compliant locomotion
• Learning of soft/compliant locomotion behaviors
• Evolving soft/compliant locomotion
