Speaker
Description
Biohybrid robotics integrates living biological components with synthetic systems to create machines that sense, actuate, and adapt in biologically meaningful ways. In this talk, I will present a set of diverse yet complementary projects from our lab that demonstrate a multi-scale and cross-species approach to biohybrid system design. These include robots powered by engineered muscle rings, robot skins with perfusable microchannel networks, microscale soft robots actuated by photosynthetic algae, and plant-driven robotic systems that leverage growth for motion generation. Each system reflects a different scale, material strategy, and biological domain, illustrating the versatility of biofabrication as a unifying framework. Together, these efforts point toward a future where machines are constructed not only with living cells but also through biological growth, remodeling, and self-organization. I will highlight key technical advances, challenges in integration, and emerging applications in soft robotics, translational medicine, cellular agriculture, and green technologies.
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