This laboratory is the focus of interdisciplinary projects combining faculty from Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science/Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Psychology and Math.

Overall Description of the Research Activities:

The overall goal of the laboratory is to develop devices based on the highly adaptive mechanisms of animal movement. These devices will have direct applications in robotics (e.g., manufacturing, emergency search and retrieval, repair and maintenance of equipment in space) and in medical diagnosis and treatment (e.g., endoscopy, remote surgery).

Although many engineered devices are biologically inspired, a traditional separation between biology and engineering has limited the use of biological principles in the construction of machines. The Biomimetic Devices Laboratory (BDL) serves as a research nexus for the fields of biology, engineering and computer science. It has four primary missions:

• To carry out basic research into promising areas of animal movement and its control (neuromechanics)
• To train a new generation of biologists and engineers in biomimetic approaches
• To build devices (and software controllers) that employ biomimetic principles
• To be an incubator for the development and marketing of novel technologies

The facility draws on expertise in several departments (Biology, Math, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) and serves students in existing graduate and undergraduate programs. The BDL brings these resources together and facilitates interactions between collaborators.

The Tufts BDL currently specializes in non-traditional model systems (e.g., non-articulated, softbodied crawlers).

Who can use this facility?

• The Tufts Biomimetic Devices Laboratory will support and train postdoctoral research associates and graduate students in their role as research mentors. They will form Research Mentoring Teams together with undergraduate research students.
   
• Graduate students affiliated with the BDL are enrolled in existing MS and Ph.D. programs in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering.
   
• Enquires from potential graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are welcome. For general information please contact the staff assistant, Liz Palmer via email or call 617-627- 2264. For project enquires contact the BDL director, Professor Barry Trimmer.
   
• Undergraduates enrolled in independent research courses or in other research programs (e.g., BREEM, BEND) are welcome to contribute to the laboratory.