The world is constantly changing every day, and contrary to what people think, evolution is still going on, even though it is at a much slower rate than it did a couple of millennials ago. Scientists, as is expected, are taking great advantage of this as it provides a way for them to invent robots that resemble living organisms, and use robotics to assist the already existing living organisms.
What is bio robotics?
Bio robotics is the field of robotics that involves the combination of biological organisms and robots. In simple terms, scientists use their knowledge of biological processes in living organisms and try to use this knowledge in the development of robots which are more like living things rather than what we all think of them to be, that is machines.
With the help of biology, scientists improve the way a robot moves, that is robotic locomotion, and it also helps in artificial intelligence of the robot. But bio robotics does not just stop there, it can be turned around in the sense that scientists also use robotic engineering to help in the modification of living organisms, and therefore their biological characteristics.
Some scientists have gone ahead to refer to bio robotics as a form of creation, as there are studies going on that aim at looking into the creation of actual living organisms from matter that is non-living. This is one of the main reasons why bio robotics is also often referred to as bio nanotechnology and even synthetic biology.
How does bio robotics work?
Bio robotics is such a wide field of robotics and it involves the incorporation of other aspects such as cybernetics, bionics and genetic engineering. Because of this combination, scientists have been able to find ways in which robotics can interact with biology, and this has been possible so far. Scientists take their time to understand the biological functioning of living things, in order to be able to replicate this as they create new robotic designs.
They replicate the characteristics of these organisms into non-living things by the use of artificial means. One way in which scientists are able to implement this is by the infusion of some biological specimens into the creation of a functioning robots as components. Another way in which they can do this is by the use of genetic information for comprehensive engineering, and using that in the designing of new robots.
Bio robotics for the future
Bio robotics has enabled scientists to go explore genetic engineering in a way that has never been done before, and it has also made it possible for the innovation of robotics and the general approach in how robots are built. Robots can now be built with the biology of living things in mind, and this does not just make the robots better, but it also makes it possible for living things to benefit in so many ways.
For instance, bio robotics has influenced robotic locomotion in the sense that scientists have developed new ways in which robots can move, in accordance with the environment that they are being made for as well as the kind of living organisms that occupy that kind of environment. This is why there are robots that can walk, run, hop, swim, slither and so on.
On the other hand, when it comes to the actual living things, bio robotics has made it possible for the invention of prosthetics which help people regain functionality in their limbs, in cases where an individual has become paralyzed. This is made possible through the use of sensors and moderators which work hand in hand with the rest of the human biological system, by the messages that are sent back and forth between the said limb and the brain through the nerves.
It has also contributed to the making of prosthetic limbs to replace the ones that no longer exist, most of the time through amputation. This has set the pace in terms of innovation, and industrial robots like the palletizing robot may become more advanced in the near future.
