Design and Measurement control of interface layer of Wet robotics between biotic and abiotic

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18700
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 20:Mechanical dynamics, robotics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Morishima Keisuke 大阪大学, 大学院工学研究科, 教授 (60359114)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 生命機械融合 / ウエットロボティクス / バイオアクチュエータ / マイクロロボット / 界面 / 昆虫サイボーグ / 心筋細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to present a design rule for integrating mechanical systems and living organisms, the measurement and control issues that exist at the biological and inanimate interfaces, and to establish a basic design architecutre for wet robotics. We considered a large, three-layered structure of interface layers, with "biological layer-machine layer (inanimate layer) connecting components" between machine parts and living organisms, and further connecting these connecting layers. Nano to micro and micro to cm scales, connecting biological and inanimate artifacts inseparably fused together. We designed a prototype of the system and evaluated the measurement of the internal state of cells at the cellular scale, the measurement of electromechanical properties of 3D iPS myocardial tissue at the tissue scale, and the measurement of nematodes and insects at the individual scale.

Free Research Field

生命機械融合

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

材料の生体適合性、熱物性と生物のやわらかさ、恒常性維持に着目し、生物と無生物界面接続のための基盤技術の開発と物質輸送、情報伝達デバイスにつながる設計指針と材料の機能発現と創発、新しい制御手法に向けた知見が得られた。生物である昆虫の体内外と様々な材料、形の人工物を接続することで、生物－無生物を融合したソフトロボットやウエアラブル、生体埋め込みデバイスの設計と生物と機械を融合したシステムの制御手法において新しい知見が得られた。