A preliminary study of motion control patterns for biorobotic spiders

Abstract

Compared to the conventional robot, the biorobot is capable of higher-level intelligence and will be more effective at overcoming unexpected perturbations during the navigation of different environments. Such biorobots are not only able to fulfill the above mentioned applications but can also be used for ecosystem studies of organism interaction. Based on the review of current literature, insects such as the hawkmoth, beetle, and cockroach have served as models for the design of such biorobots. We consider the use of spiders, a class of organisms similar to but distinct from insects, in the construction of biorobots, due to their unique characteristics. Here, we demonstrate the preliminary steps taken in the realization of a proof-of-concept spider biorobot.