Bio Inspired Robotics Workshop

An earthquake has just reduced a building to rubble. People are trapped underneath. Rescue workers are unsure and must dig through layers of debris to locate survivors. In this moment of calamity emerges a new mechanical superhero- the Spider-Robot. Combining its life-detecting sensors with its deft maneuverability the robot can climb through crevices, gaps pinpointing locations of survivors thus providing life-saving information and potentially reducing casualties.

Spider-Robot is not a figment of imagination coming out of a science fiction novel but a product of the efforts of Dr Amir Shapiro’s team of researchers at the Technion University, Israel. The Spider-robot is composed of a central body, and three articulated limbs. It has many applications. Besides functioning in man-made or natural disasters, the robot could be used in dangerous places like nuclear plants, undergroundmines or buildings rigged with explosives. It could even be used in space stations.

And in a nano version, Dr. Shapiro envisions a mini spider-robot entering the blood vessels to make diagnoses, deliver medicines or conduct surgical procedures.

Dr. Amir Shapiro is a professor teaching at the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. He actively conducts research in robotics and takes courses in Dynamics, Robotics and Mechatronics. He has more than 20 conference papers and journal publications to his name. For his contributions his biography has been included in the Who’s Who in Engineering Academia 2007.

At Pragyan ‘08 Dr. Amir Shapiro will conduct a workshop on bio-inspired robotics. He will be explaining the nuances and intricacies of the Spider-Robot and demonstrating his new creation- the Snake Robot, which mimics the movements of a snake.

Date : 29th February, 2008

Time : 10am - 1pm

This is a demonstrative workshop and there is no registration fee for this workshop. Certificates of participation will not be provided for this workshop.

Click here to download Amir Shapiro's Snake Robot video.

Registrations are now closed.