Our project involves the design and implementation of a biologically inspired robot.  This approach provides an interchange of information between the basic fields of engineering and biology.  Engineers can benefit from knowledge concerning the methods by which insects and other animals are able to agilely control movements in complicated environments.  This information can lead to better robot structural designs and behavioral performance.    At the same time, these robots can provide a physical testbed to be used by biologists to explore hypotheses concerning neural methods of coordination and monitor the affects of sensory information on regulating movements and maintaining coordination.  This robotic platform allows changes to the physical structure and control algorithms not possible in a living animal.

    Some of these activities are presented here.  In addition to providing interdisciplinary research opportunities for graduate students, our project offers undergraduate students educational opportunities involving interdisciplinary themes.  Over 25 undergraduate students have participated in project related tasks.  These students have come from many different departments (Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Entomology, Mechanical Engineering, Theoretical & Applied Mechanics). The students working on our project interact with many different laboratories on campus (The Beckman Institute's Computer Vision and Robotics Lab, ECE's Sr. Projects Lab, ECE's Advanced Digital Systems Lab, Morril Hall's Entomology Lab).