Animal Inspired Technology

Collecting data at sea often requires researchers to choose between two very different types of vehicles. Aerial drones can quickly survey large areas but...

Collecting data in the Arctic is often as challenging as the research itself. Beneath seemingly solid snow can lie hidden pools of icy water,...

Designing underwater robots that can move efficiently and adapt to changing currents remains a complex challenge. Traditional systems rely on external sensors and pre-programmed...

Maintaining large electrical grids is a difficult and often dangerous task. Power lines stretch across vast distances, pass through hard-to-reach terrain, and require regular...

Controlling insect-based robots has long been an area of interest for researchers looking to combine the mobility and efficiency of living organisms with the...

Building small flying robots that move like insects has long been a challenge for engineers. Flapping-wing systems are highly agile and energy efficient, but...

Robots have become increasingly capable in controlled environments, but they still struggle to replicate the adaptability and precision seen in animals. Biological movement relies...

Detecting extremely weak vibrations usually requires complex electronics, amplification circuits, and continuous signal processing. Whether in microphones, environmental monitoring systems, or biomedical devices, improving...

Coordinating large numbers of robots to perform complex tasks remains a major challenge. Traditional systems often rely on centralized control, detailed planning, and constant...

Robots are increasingly expected to operate in confined and complex environments, from industrial machinery to medical procedures inside the human body. Traditional robotic arms,...

Conventional drones rely on spinning propellers to generate lift and maneuver in the air. While effective, this approach has limitations, especially in tight, cluttered,...

Small drones are increasingly used in environments where visibility is limited, such as collapsed buildings, smoke-filled structures, and dense vegetation, but most navigation systems...

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operate in an environment that is constantly shifting. Sudden currents, turbulence and pressure changes can destabilize rigid wings and control...

Robots designed to detect and track chemical sources, such as gas leaks, explosives, or hazardous materials, typically rely on multiple sensors working in perfect...

Coordinating large groups of autonomous systems, whether drones, vehicles, or software agents, remains a difficult problem. In real-world conditions, signals are often noisy, incomplete,...

Autonomous robots still struggle with a basic problem that animals solve effortlessly: how to keep moving when conditions suddenly change. Uneven terrain, loss of...

Modern militaries continue to search for reconnaissance tools that can operate where drones and ground robots struggle — inside collapsed buildings, narrow tunnels or...

One of the biggest obstacles to deploying very small autonomous robots is navigation. As machines shrink, the hardware required to determine position and direction...

Small drones and mobile robots increasingly operate in tight, cluttered environments where awareness must be both wide and fast. Conventional camera systems can capture...

Small drones have become a common tool for surveillance, inspection, and reconnaissance, but they come with limits. Battery life restricts endurance, electric motors generate...

Maintaining armored vehicles is often as demanding as operating them. Tank engines are packed with sensors, wiring, fuel lines, and mechanical components layered in...

Robots have steadily become smaller, cheaper, and more capable—but until now, true autonomy stopped at around the millimeter scale. Below that threshold, conventional designs...