This talk will highlight our recent work on the development of physical models for the exploration of structure-function relationships in small animals (primarily arthropods), and for the development of robots that exhibit similar capabilities. Examples include centimeter-scale legged robots that help uncover gait strategies for high speed and robust locomotion on planar surfaces and for vertical and inverted climbing; ultra-fast power amplification mechanisms that produce rapid strikes and jumps; and insect-like flapping-wing robots used as a testbed for studies of fluid mechanics and under-actuated flight control. These models are enabled by the use of a multi-scale, multi-material fabrication paradigm, high bandwidth micro actuators, and detailed analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations. Robot complexity (e.g., measured by actuated degrees of freedom) typically decreases with reduced size. Our methods, however, buck this trend and allow us to create fully actuated physical models that mimic key features of the biomechanics of the organisms in question. Furthermore, these robots serve as platforms for experimentation with novel sensors, computation architectures, and power solutions that must reconcile strict size, weight, and power limits for these bioinspired devices with the desire to achieve similar capabilities as the organisms they are inspired by.

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