Biorobotics with Hybrid and Multimodal Locomotion

International audienceThe IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Technical Committee (TC) on Biorobotics was formed with the goal of providing a forum and dissemination mechanism for the interaction between biological and artificial (autonomous or semi-autonomous) systems and to present biology as a learning tool for novel engineering paradigms. In 2007, in an effort to define the scope of the technical field of the TC, the TC on Biorobotics was created to focus on various research fields that involve the understanding and implementation of complex living organisms by virtue of mechatronic systems. One such field is biologically inspired robotics, which is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach that aims to strengthen the collaboration between roboticists and biologists. To this end, two main approaches are adopted for research in Biorobotics: 1) the application of biological concepts/methodologies to improve the current capabilities of robots, for example, extending the robot’s flexibility and robustness by adopting design principles of biological systems and 2) the application of advanced robotic technology to improve the current techniques/methodologies adopted by biologists. The principles and techniques of hybrid and multimodal locomotion recently have been emphasized and explored by researchers for better performance of bioinspired movements. This paper highlights the recent activities conducted by the TC on Biorobotics