A brief history of biomimetic robotics

In this paper the history of biomimetic robotics is reviewed. Here the word biomimetic means that insights are drawn from nature in the design of robotic systems. Equally, understanding of mechanics and information processing applicable to biological systems is drawn from the experience of designing and operating such artificial systems.In this work the word robotics is taken to imply an integration of a mechanical system with an information system. Thus, the history encompasses only the period of 35 years or so since this integration was first attempted.