Letter:
Controllable Biological Rhythms and Patterns
Hiroshi Ito*, Takuma Sugi**, and Ken H. Nagai***
*Faculty of Design, Kyushu University
4-9-1 Shiobaru, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan
**Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University
1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan
***School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
One of the goals of soft robotics is to implement intelligent functions capable of processing complex information in soft materials. This is a noble goal, and we already have a familiar example, albeit not an artificial one, in a living organism. We believe that the intelligent biological elements acquired through the evolutionary process, which do not require an electricity supply or CPU, can be used for soft robotics. In this letter, we introduce three biological elements: proteins, squid, and nematodes, which show temporal or special patterns. We then discuss an attempt to apply them to soft robotics.
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