MAPWORMS

Research Directions:

Marine biodiversity

Description:

MAPWORMS aims at challenging this traditional concept by proposing robots inspired by simplified forms of Marine Annelida, able to perform tasks in response to environmental stimuli and to adapt to the environment with a shape-morphing strategy.
MAPWORMS intends to: 1) study adaptation and plasticity of the body plan in Marine Annelida and shed light on the specialization process that allowed forms appeared early in the evolution of the Phylum to adapt to different environments; 2) develop a mathematical model of Annelida plasticity and adaptation to the environment through burrowing, protrusion of parts of their bodies, and morphological changes; 3) develop smart soft
materials embodying responsivity, shape morphing and self-healing capabilities, and based on DNA components; 4) develop bioinspired modular shape morphing robots across the scale