Name: Robots inspired by cockroach ingenuity
Uploaded: 2008-06-19T01:05:00Z
Duration: 20 min 2 s
Description: Insects and animals have evolved some amazing skills -- but, as Robert Full notes, many animals are actually over-engineered. The trick is to copy only what's necessary. He shows how human engineers can learn from animals' tricks.

Insects and animals have evolved some amazing skills -- but, as Robert Full notes, many animals are actually over-engineered. The trick is to copy only what's necessary. He shows how human engineers can learn from animals' tricks.

Robert Full: Robots inspired by cockroach ingenuity

Robots inspired by cockroach ingenuity

Engineering marvels from nature, like geckos climbing walls, inspire the creation of autonomous, terrain-adaptive robots.

Scientists discover geckos adhere to surfaces via Van der Waals forces, leading to the development of synthetic dry adhesives.

Mimicking nature's design, researchers develop robots with springy legs and self-stabilizing mechanisms for challenging terrains.