BioMorphic Intelligence Lab

Aerial robots are now ubiquitous. Thanks to their nimbleness, manoeuvrability, and affordability, drones are used in many sectors to monitor, map, and inspect. As a next step, flying robots offer more when interacting with their surroundings via anthropomorphic-like manipulation capabilities. Some overarching challenges remain for this new class of aerial robots, and solutions inspired by biology can be implemented across three key areas for robot performance: sensing their environment, processing this information, and acting upon the results.

SENSE

Bio-inspired perception (e.g., visual or tactile feedback) can provide the drone with information on its environment, mimicking animals’ sensory feedback. Using retina-like event cameras, drones can avoid obstacles and detect objects at a fraction of the power and latency of conventional hardware and algorithms. Enhancing tactile feedback can also prompt different behaviors in response to different force stimuli.

THINK

Bio-inspired, brain-like models from Neuromorphic AI can help lower the computational load and speed up sensory data processing for navigation. This boosts real-time control and autonomy. Compliance embedded in the control of the robot also favors safe and robust interaction with unknown environments and targets.

ACT

Bio-inspired design and materials make the drone’s body fit for interaction with unknown objects and enable a safe response to external disturbances. Robot morphology can be inspired by flying animals’ shape, configuration, and materials. Together, these features create embodied intelligence and can partially offset the behavior complexity handled by the brain.

The BioMorphic Intelligence Lab aims to tackle robustness and efficiency challenges for interacting drones, using biologically inspired solutions for both the ‘body’ and the ‘brain’ and applying embodied intelligence and neuromorphic AI techniques.

The BioMorphic Intelligence Lab is part of the TU Delft AI Labs programme. For more information about the lab and its projects, publication, and code; visit their TU Delft page!