Robotics engineers have often looked to biomimicry, taking design cues from nature and biology, as a means of creating more advanced and realistic machines. In recent years, this sort of work has moved beyond university research labs and into leading automation companies, which are looking at creating robots based on animals and insects to further R&D efforts and find novel industrial applications for machines.

Roni Barak Ventura, a mechanical engineering doctoral candidate at the Dynamical Systems Laboratory at New York University Tandon School of Engineering, spoke at the Atlantic Design & Manufacturing Expo about her own team's work creating a “robotic zoo”—specifically, robotic fish aimed at a variety of applications, including saving and preserving real fish.

In her talk, “Learning from Nature: The Mechanics Behind the Robotic Zoo,” Ventura discussed her own work developing robots that mimic fish. She also offers insights into how more engineers are creating robots that move and behave like animals.

Watch the full talk below. And for more updates, be sure to follow Design News on Facebook.  

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Chris Wiltz is a Senior Editor at Design News covering emerging technologies including AI, VR/AR, and robotics.