Abstract

This talk will highlight the advances in biomechanics drawing inspiration from diverse organisms ranging from geckos to squirrels and discuss the challenges and opportunities for bioinspired design and robotics.

Bio

Robert J. Full is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California at Berkeley. Professor Full received his undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees at SUNY Buffalo and then held a postdoctoral position at The University of Chicago. He holds a joint appointment in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is a member of the Graduate Groups in Biophysics and Science and Mathematics Education in the Graduate School of Education.

He is the founder and director of the Center of Interdisciplinary Bio-inspiration in Education and Research (CiBER), currently the editor-in-chief of the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, on the science advisory board of the journal Science Robotics, and serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine’s Board of Life Sciences. He is a National Academy of Sciences Mentor in the Life Sciences, an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Professor Full directs the Poly-PEDAL Laboratory, which studies the Performance, Energetics and Dynamics of Animal Locomotion (PEDAL) in many-footed creatures (Poly). He has authored over two hundred research contributions in animal motion science using diverse biological designs as natural experiments to probe for basic themes concerning the relationship between morphology, body size, energetics, dynamics, control, stability, maneuverability, maximum speed, and endurance. An understanding of diverse biological solutions to the problems of locomotion has contributed to the development of a general theory of energetics, neuro-mechanics, and behavior. These principles have resulted in the design of insect inspired search-and-rescue robots, artificial muscles, novel control algorithms, and gecko-inspired, self-cleaning, dry adhesives. Professor Full leads a new HHMI sponsored education program whose goal is to expand the STEM workforce with an early, inspirational and interdisciplinary experience that fosters inclusive excellence showing diverse minds are required to invent the future.

Abstract

This talk will highlight the advances in biomechanics drawing inspiration from diverse organisms ranging from geckos to squirrels and discuss the challenges and opportunities for bioinspired design and robotics.

Bio

Robert J. Full is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California at Berkeley. Professor Full received his undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees at SUNY Buffalo and then held a postdoctoral position at The University of Chicago. He holds a joint appointment in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is a member of the Graduate Groups in Biophysics and Science and Mathematics Education in the Graduate School of Education.

He is the founder and director of the Center of Interdisciplinary Bio-inspiration in Education and Research (CiBER), currently the editor-in-chief of the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, on the science advisory board of the journal Science Robotics, and serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine’s Board of Life Sciences. He is a National Academy of Sciences Mentor in the Life Sciences, an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Professor Full directs the Poly-PEDAL Laboratory, which studies the Performance, Energetics and Dynamics of Animal Locomotion (PEDAL) in many-footed creatures (Poly). He has authored over two hundred research contributions in animal motion science using diverse biological designs as natural experiments to probe for basic themes concerning the relationship between morphology, body size, energetics, dynamics, control, stability, maneuverability, maximum speed, and endurance. An understanding of diverse biological solutions to the problems of locomotion has contributed to the development of a general theory of energetics, neuro-mechanics, and behavior. These principles have resulted in the design of insect inspired search-and-rescue robots, artificial muscles, novel control algorithms, and gecko-inspired, self-cleaning, dry adhesives. Professor Full leads a new HHMI sponsored education program whose goal is to expand the STEM workforce with an early, inspirational and interdisciplinary experience that fosters inclusive excellence showing diverse minds are required to invent the future.