Bio-inspired Flying Robots

Bio-inspired Flying Robots
Author: Jean-Christophe Zufferey
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2008-04-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1439808112

This book demonstrates how bio-inspiration can lead to fully autonomous flying robots without relying on external aids. Most existing aerial robots fly in open skies, far from obstacles, and rely on external beacons, mainly GPS, to localise and navigate. However, these robots are not able to fly at low altitude or in confined environments, and

Bio-inspired Flying Robots

Bio-inspired Flying Robots
Author: Jean-Christophe Zufferey
Publisher: EPFL Press
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2008-04-24
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9781420066845

This book demonstrates how bio-inspiration can lead to fully autonomous flying robots without relying on external aids. Most existing aerial robots fly in open skies, far from obstacles, and rely on external beacons, mainly GPS, to localise and navigate. However, these robots are not able to fly at low altitude or in confined environments, and yet this poses absolutely no difficulty to insects. Indeed, flying insects display efficient flight control capabilities in complex environments despite their limited weight and relatively tiny brain size. From sensor suite to control strategies, the literature on flying insects is reviewed from an engineering perspective in order to extract useful principles that are then applied to the synthesis of artificial indoor flyers. Artificial evolution is also utilised to search for alternative control systems and behaviors that match the constraints of small flying robots. Specifically, the basic sensory modalities of insects, vision, gyroscopes and airflow sense, are applied to develop navigation controllers for indoor flying robots. These robots are capable of mapping sensor information onto actuator commands in real time to maintain altitude, stabilize the course and avoid obstacles. The most prominent result of this novel approach is a 10-gram microflyer capable of fully autonomous operation in an office-sized room using fly-inspired vision, inertial and airspeed sensors. This book is intended for all those interested in autonomous robotics, in academia and industry.

Biologically Inspired Robotics

Biologically Inspired Robotics
Author: Yunhui Liu
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2011-12-21
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1439854882

Robotic engineering inspired by biology—biomimetics—has many potential applications: robot snakes can be used for rescue operations in disasters, snake-like endoscopes can be used in medical diagnosis, and artificial muscles can replace damaged muscles to recover the motor functions of human limbs. Conversely, the application of robotics technology to our understanding of biological systems and behaviors—biorobotic modeling and analysis—provides unique research opportunities: robotic manipulation technology with optical tweezers can be used to study the cell mechanics of human red blood cells, a surface electromyography sensing system can help us identify the relation between muscle forces and hand movements, and mathematical models of brain circuitry may help us understand how the cerebellum achieves movement control. Biologically Inspired Robotics contains cutting-edge material—considerably expanded and with additional analysis—from the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). These 16 chapters cover both biomimetics and biorobotic modeling/analysis, taking readers through an exploration of biologically inspired robot design and control, micro/nano bio-robotic systems, biological measurement and actuation, and applications of robotics technology to biological problems. Contributors examine a wide range of topics, including: A method for controlling the motion of a robotic snake The design of a bionic fitness cycle inspired by the jaguar The use of autonomous robotic fish to detect pollution A noninvasive brain-activity scanning method using a hybrid sensor A rehabilitation system for recovering motor function in human hands after injury Human-like robotic eye and head movements in human–machine interactions A state-of-the-art resource for graduate students and researchers in the fields of control engineering, robotics, and biomedical engineering, this text helps readers understand the technology and principles in this emerging field.

Flying Insects and Robots

Flying Insects and Robots
Author: Dario Floreano
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2009-10-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3540893938

Flying insects are intelligent micromachines capable of exquisite maneuvers in unpredictable environments. Understanding these systems advances our knowledge of flight control, sensor suites, and unsteady aerodynamics, which is of crucial interest to engineers developing intelligent flying robots or micro air vehicles (MAVs). The insights we gain when synthesizing bioinspired systems can in turn benefit the fields of neurophysiology, ethology and zoology by providing real-life tests of the proposed models. This book was written by biologists and engineers leading the research in this crossdisciplinary field. It examines all aspects of the mechanics, technology and intelligence of insects and insectoids. After introductory-level overviews of flight control in insects, dedicated chapters focus on the development of autonomous flying systems using biological principles to sense their surroundings and autonomously navigate. A significant part of the book is dedicated to the mechanics and control of flapping wings both in insects and artificial systems. Finally hybrid locomotion, energy harvesting and manufacturing of small flying robots are covered. A particular feature of the book is the depth on realization topics such as control engineering, electronics, mechanics, optics, robotics and manufacturing. This book will be of interest to academic and industrial researchers engaged with theory and engineering in the domains of aerial robotics, artificial intelligence, and entomology.

Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence

Bio-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Author: Dario Floreano
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 674
Release: 2023-04-04
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 0262547732

A comprehensive introduction to new approaches in artificial intelligence and robotics that are inspired by self-organizing biological processes and structures. New approaches to artificial intelligence spring from the idea that intelligence emerges as much from cells, bodies, and societies as it does from evolution, development, and learning. Traditionally, artificial intelligence has been concerned with reproducing the abilities of human brains; newer approaches take inspiration from a wider range of biological structures that that are capable of autonomous self-organization. Examples of these new approaches include evolutionary computation and evolutionary electronics, artificial neural networks, immune systems, biorobotics, and swarm intelligence—to mention only a few. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the emerging field of biologically inspired artificial intelligence that can be used as an upper-level text or as a reference for researchers. Each chapter presents computational approaches inspired by a different biological system; each begins with background information about the biological system and then proceeds to develop computational models that make use of biological concepts. The chapters cover evolutionary computation and electronics; cellular systems; neural systems, including neuromorphic engineering; developmental systems; immune systems; behavioral systems—including several approaches to robotics, including behavior-based, bio-mimetic, epigenetic, and evolutionary robots; and collective systems, including swarm robotics as well as cooperative and competitive co-evolving systems. Chapters end with a concluding overview and suggested reading.

The DelFly

The DelFly
Author: G.C.H.E. de Croon
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2015-11-26
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9401792089

This book introduces the topics most relevant to autonomously flying flapping wing robots: flapping-wing design, aerodynamics, and artificial intelligence. Readers can explore these topics in the context of the "Delfly", a flapping wing robot designed at Delft University in The Netherlands. How are tiny fruit flies able to lift their weight, avoid obstacles and predators, and find food or shelter? The first step in emulating this is the creation of a micro flapping wing robot that flies by itself. The challenges are considerable: the design and aerodynamics of flapping wings are still active areas of scientific research, whilst artificial intelligence is subject to extreme limitations deriving from the few sensors and minimal processing onboard. This book conveys the essential insights that lie behind success such as the DelFly Micro and the DelFly Explorer. The DelFly Micro, with its 3.07 grams and 10 cm wing span, is still the smallest flapping wing MAV in the world carrying a camera, whilst the DelFly Explorer is the world's first flapping wing MAV that is able to fly completely autonomously in unknown environments. The DelFly project started in 2005 and ever since has served as inspiration, not only to many scientific flapping wing studies, but also the design of flapping wing toys. The combination of introductions to relevant fields, practical insights and scientific experiments from the DelFly project make this book a must-read for all flapping wing enthusiasts, be they students, researchers, or engineers.

Encyclopedia of Robotics

Encyclopedia of Robotics
Author: Marcelo H. Ang
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 4000
Release: 2018-07-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9783662437698

The Encyclopedia of Robotics addresses the existing need for an easily accessible yet authoritative and granular knowledge resource in robotic science and engineering. The encyclopedia is a work that comprehensively explains the scientific, application-based, interactive and socio-ethical parameters of robotics. It is the first work that explains at the concept and fact level the state of the field of robotics and its future directions. The encyclopedia is a complement to Springer’s highly successful Handbook of Robotics that has analyzed the state of robotics through the medium of descriptive essays. Organized in an A-Z format for quick and easy understanding of both the basic and advanced topics across a broad spectrum of areas in a self-contained form. The entries in this Encyclopedia will be a comprehensive description of terms used in robotics science and technology. Each term, when useful, is described concisely with online illustrations and enhanced user interactivity (on SpringerReference.com).

Bioinspired Structures and Design

Bioinspired Structures and Design
Author: Wole Soboyejo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 374
Release: 2020-09-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1108963447

Master simple to advanced biomaterials and structures with this essential text. Featuring topics ranging from bionanoengineered materials to bio-inspired structures for spacecraft and bio-inspired robots, and covering issues such as motility, sensing, control and morphology, this highly illustrated text walks the reader through key scientific and practical engineering principles, discussing properties, applications and design. Presenting case studies for the design of materials and structures at the nano, micro, meso and macro-scales, and written by some of the leading experts on the subject, this is the ideal introduction to this emerging field for students in engineering and science as well as researchers.

Sensors and Sensing in Biology and Engineering

Sensors and Sensing in Biology and Engineering
Author: Friedrich G. Barth
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2003-04-23
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9783211837719

Biological sensors are usually remarkably small, sensitive and efficient. It is highly desirable to design corresponding artificial sensors for scientific, industrial and commercial purposes. This book is designed to fill an urgent need for interdisciplinary exchange between biologists studying sensors in the natural world and engineers and physical scientists developing artificial sensors. The main topics cover mechanical sensors, e.g. waves and sounds, visual sensors and vision and chemosensors. Readers will obtain a fuller understanding of the nature and performance of natural sensors as well as enhanced appreciation for the current status and the potential applicability of artificial microsensors.

Aerial Robots

Aerial Robots
Author: Omar D Lopez Mejia
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2017-09-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9535134639

Few years ago, the topic of aerial robots was exclusively related to the robotics community, so a great number of books about the dynamics and control of aerial robots and UAVs have been written. As the control technology for UAVs advances, the great interaction that exists between other systems and elements that are as important as control such as aerodynamics, energy efficiency, acoustics, structural integrity, and applications, among others has become evident. Aerial Robots - Aerodynamics, Control, and Applications is an attempt to bring some of these topics related to UAVs together in just one book and to look at a selection of the most relevant problems of UAVs in a broader engineering perspective.