Bioinspiration and emerging actuator technologies

Abstract

Biological systems in nature went through long evolution process that led to highly effective and efficient systems with excellent performance. Biomimetics is an interdisciplinary scientific research focuses on making nature as new sources of inspiration to study, analyze and design of creative and efficient engineering systems supported by innovative technologies. Smart materials are the foundation supporting the development of creative bioinspiration. Wide ranges of biologically inspired systems have been developed. However, engineering such as biomimetic intelligent creatures was hampered by physical and technological constraints, and it is still a challenge. Actuators are essential elements within mechatronical systems due to their important role in motion control systems and hence there is a need to develop new trend of actuators that can be inspired from biological actuation systems in nature associated with different levels of control. Making intelligent creatures that are actuated by biologically inspired modern actuators and artificial muscles would create new reality with great potentials. This paper provides the concept of biomimetic as an interdisciplinary field, discusses the enabling technologies, and presents the main development and bioinspired and emerging actuator technologies.