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Shape Changing Robots: Bioinspiration, Simulation, and Physical Realization
Author(s) -
Shah Dylan,
Yang Bilige,
Kriegman Sam,
Levin Michael,
Bongard Josh,
KramerBottiglio Rebecca
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.202002882
Subject(s) - robot , leverage (statistics) , adaptation (eye) , realization (probability) , computer science , biomimetics , human–computer interaction , distributed computing , key (lock) , artificial intelligence , control engineering , systems engineering , engineering , biology , statistics , mathematics , computer security , neuroscience
One of the key differentiators between biological and artificial systems is the dynamic plasticity of living tissues, enabling adaptation to different environmental conditions, tasks, or damage by reconfiguring physical structure and behavioral control policies. Lack of dynamic plasticity is a significant limitation for artificial systems that must robustly operate in the natural world. Recently, researchers have begun to leverage insights from regenerating and metamorphosing organisms, designing robots capable of editing their own structure to more efficiently perform tasks under changing demands and creating new algorithms to control these changing anatomies. Here, an overview of the literature related to robots that change shape to enhance and expand their functionality is presented. Related grand challenges, including shape sensing, finding, and changing, which rely on innovations in multifunctional materials, distributed actuation and sensing, and somatic control to enable next‐generation shape changing robots are also discussed.