The Natural Robotics Contest
An opportunity for anyone to have their idea for a bioinspired robot be turned into a reality!
f you've ever watched animal (or plant!) and thought 'Why can't we do it that way?', this is the place for you: www.naturalroboticscontest.com.
Perhaps a robotic woodpecker that checks trees for disease? Maybe a robot falcon protecting the eggs of sea turtles? Or a mechanical plant that reinforces a riverbank?
A team of robotics researchers are asking for drawings of robots inspired by nature, and we will be turning the winning design into a real, working prototype this summer
Our main aim is to foster interest in biomimicry, and to let in some creativity from outside of engineering research offices - I often get some great impromptu pitches when I’m visiting schools / talking to the public, so this is a chance to take something off the drawing board that might not otherwise get made.
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Step 1: Enter the contest!
It's simple! All you need is an idea for a robot, inspired by nature, that can do something to help the world. Apply here: https://www.naturalroboticscontest.com/#apply
To enter, you'll need a drawing of your robot and a short description of what it does. We're looking for creativity and potential impact, not drawing ability, so you don't need to be an artist to win!
Submissions are invited from people of all ages - anyone with an interest in nature or robotics is welcome.
The deadline for submissions is June 30th 2022.
The winning submission will be designed and fabricated into a real prototype by the robotics team, which will be unveiled in Summer 2022.
Naturally, all the designs and code for the winning robot will be fully open-sourced!
Got a question? email contact@naturalroboticscontest.com
