Bioinspired Adaptable Robotics Lab (BioARL)

Investigating the adaptability and resilience of natural organisms, abstracting the dynamic principles, and integrating them into the robot's body to enhance its adaptability and performance.

image showing 4 researchers in the BioARL lab

Our work

At BioARL, we take inspiration from nature to build smarter, more adaptable robots. By studying how animals and other organisms move and thrive in changing environments, we understand the principles that make them so effective. We then apply these insights to create smarter bodies for robots that that leverage their own mechanical and physical properties (such as morphology and stiffness) to adapt to new challenges, just like their natural counterparts. Our research addresses global challenges in human wellbeing, life on land and in water, and drives the development of innovative technologies that are high-performing, resilient, and versatile for real-world applications. Therefore our impact is in diverse areas such as policymaking, healthcare, agriculture, biodiversity monitoring, and human wellbeing.

Research projects

Bioinspired Adaptable Multiplanar Haptic (BAMH) system

The sense of touch is complex, and training is often required to interpret the haptic feedback provided by current devices. This project aims to enhance the transparency of haptic feedback and reduce training time by directly stimulating all four main mechanoreceptors associated with touch. We developed the Bioinspired Adaptable Multiplanar Haptic (BAMH) system, capable of delivering both steady and vibrational stimuli with adjustable intensity and frequency, within the sensitivity range of these mechanoreceptors, even simultaneously across multiple fingertip areas. We tested BAMH in human experiments, demonstrating its potential to advance haptic technology design and support the diagnosis of touch-related disorders.

Funding:

2022-11 to 2024-05, University College London - Translational Research Office (London, GB)

futuristic look of a female robot — Inspired by how humans use their sense of touch to interact with the environment, the BAMH system builds on the body’s natural mechanisms for touch perception. It can stimulate the four mechanoreceptors (skin sensors) responsible for touch. The goal is to minimise the amount of training required for users to interpret the stimuli.

image showing two researchers looking at a laptop, pondering over a research about hands — User evaluating the First BAMH prototype.

BioINspired adapTAble Caring fooT (INTACT) for robots

image showing the hoof structure of an alpaca — The alpaca’s foot, adapted to the Andean mountains of South America, provides effective locomotion while minimising damage to terrain and vegetation.

Soil health is vital for food production, water regulation, and climate stability, yet soil compaction from heavy agricultural machinery threatens these functions. Inspired by the alpaca’s ability to walk on varied terrain with minimal impact, the INTACT project is developing a BioINspired adapTAble Caring fooT for agricultural robots. This soft, stiffness-controllable robotic foot aims to adapt to changing ground conditions while reducing soil damage. By integrating INTACT into legged robots, we aim to support sustainable farming practices that protect soil health and secure future food production.

Funding:

2025-08 to 2028-07, EPSRC, GRANT NUMBER: UKRI/EP/B000259/1

Remora Fish

Inspired by the remora fish’s unique suction disc, this project aims to develop a passive robotic mechanical counterpart with enhanced underwater adherence. The design will improve the energy efficiency of underwater robots, enabling them to stay attached to structures without continuous power use. This technology could support tasks such as removing biofouling from ship hulls, reducing fuel consumption and preventing the spread of invasive species. By saving energy and increasing stability, robots could work longer and perform essential underwater operations more effectively.

Funding:

2025-03 to 2026-02, Royal Society (London, England, GB), GRANT_NUMBER: RG\R1\251084

Robotic goat hoof

Mountain goats can traverse steep cliffs and rough terrain with remarkable agility, where a single slip could be fatal. Robots, however, still struggle in such conditions. In this project, we have developed a fully passive bioinspired robotic hoof, requiring no sensors or actuators, that outperforms the standard ball foot in slip resistance. Our research highlights the importance of all hoof joints and morphology, showing that a compliant pastern and coffin joint are critical for enhancing slip resistance. These findings represent a step towards more adaptable robots for critical tasks such as farming, rescue operations, and biodiversity monitoring.

Funding:

2014-09 to 2018-08, Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (Quito, EC), GRANT_NUMBER: AR2Q-5232
2021-04 to 2021-09, University College London (London, GB)

Image showing mountain goats standing on a rocky cliff, with an inset close-up of a robotic hoof design inspired by goat hooves. The inset highlights 3D-printed components, including the hoof sole structure and textured pads that mimic the natural goat hoof for better grip on rough surfaces. — From nature to robotics. This project investigates how the morphology of the goat’s hoof, together with its joint compliance and degrees of freedom, contribute to slip resistance. Our bioinspired robotic goat hoof embodies several of these characteristics from the biological hoof, e.g., claws’ sharp edges, pads, 3 main axis of rotation.

People

Dr Sara Adela Abad Guaman PrincipaI Investigator View profile
Dr Haining Luo Postdoc View profile
Zedong Zhang PhD candidate View profile
Alexander Evans Moncloa PhD student View profile

Our alumni and visitors

Dr Jialei Shi (Past Research Assistant)

Dr Wenlong Gaozhang (Past Research Assistant)

Alejandro Lojan (Visited the lab in 2024)

Publications

Abad, SA., Herzig, N., Raitt, D. et al. Bioinspired adaptable multiplanar mechano-vibrotactile haptic system. Nat Commun 15, 7631 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51779-8

D. G. Raitt, M. Huseynov, S. Homer-Vanniasinkam, H. A. Wurdemann and S. -A. Abad, "Soft-Tipped Sensor With Compliance Control for Elasticity Sensing and Palpation," in IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 40, pp. 2430-2441, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2024.3371691.

S. -A. Abad, N. Herzig, S. M. H. Sadati and T. Nanayakkara, "Significance of the Compliance of the Joints on the Dynamic Slip Resistance of a Bioinspired Hoof," in IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 1450-1463, Dec. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2019.2930864.

J. Shi, S. -A. Abad, A. Menciassi, K. Althoefer and H. A. Wurdemann, "Miniaturised Soft Manipulators with Reinforced Actuation Chambers on the Sub-Centimetre Scale," 2024 IEEE 7th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), San Diego, CA, USA, 2024, pp. 157-164, https://doi.org/10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10522046.

Pringle, S., Dallimer, M., Goddard, M.A. et al. Opportunities and challenges for monitoring terrestrial biodiversity in the robotics age.Nat Ecol Evol 9, 1031–1042 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02704-9