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Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab (BIRL)
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The lab learns from the mechanisms of living organisms to build soft, intelligent robots.
AboutAbout the lab
Intelligence resides in the body: robots inspired by biology.
The Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab (BIRL) studies the design principles of intelligent, adaptive robots by learning from the basic mechanisms of living organisms.
At the core of its research is the idea of "embodied intelligence": intelligence resides not only in the brain but also in the body.
The lab works on soft robotics, which builds robots from soft materials, and on dexterous robot hands that move like human hands.
In addition to the University of Cambridge in the UK, the lab now has a base at the University of Tokyo.
Key terms
- Embodied intelligence
- The idea that intelligent behavior arises not only from the brain but also from the structure and movement of a body that physically interacts with the world
- Soft robotics
- An approach that builds robots from soft materials such as rubber and silicone, aiming for delicate movements like those of the human hand
- Actuator
- A device that converts energy such as electricity into motion or force. It serves as a robot's muscles
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Drawing on the design principles of living organisms, the lab studies the design and control of dynamic mechatronics, bio-inspired sensors and actuators, and computational optimization techniques. By deepening the understanding of animals' adaptability and autonomy, it aims to realize more supple and efficient robots.
*Illustrative imageRobots That Handle Food
Building on techniques for grasping and handling complex objects, the lab is taking on applications of robots to tasks involving food, such as food processing and cooking.
*Illustrative imageRobots That Handle Agricultural Produce
This research applies robotics to the task of grasping and handling agricultural produce. It is one application built on foundational research such as soft robotics.
*Illustrative imageRobot Hands That Learn from the Human Hand
Dexterous hand movements like those of humans are still a major challenge for robots. The lab designs and controls robot hands modeled on the musculoskeletal systems of living organisms, which also contributes to understanding the human hand. It is also taking on the challenge of a piano-playing robot.
*Illustrative imageSensing in Soft Robots
For soft robots that change shape greatly, sensing that detects the state of their own bodies is important. This research improves the control of soft robots by working on functional materials and on how to process and embed them.
MembersFaculty
The University of Tokyo members of the Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab consist of faculty, support staff, researchers, students, and visiting researchers.As of 2026
- ProfessorFumiya IidaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Soft Robotics” Oregon State University / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Robots That Handle Food: “Boulangerie à Thouars 5” Syced / CC0 (cropped)
- Robots That Handle Agricultural Produce: “Robotic arm with a cutter end-effector harvesting green chile peppers in an indoor setting” Lozada, Bosland, Barchenger, Haghshenas-Jaryani, Sanogo and Walker / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Robot Hands That Learn from the Human Hand: “Роботска рака (2)” Луната1999 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Sensing in Soft Robots: “Strain gauge” Cristian V. / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Louhi Kasahara Lab): “Construction site excavator and truck” Neb / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Yamashita-An-Hamada Lab): “Image-Omnidirectional image computer lab” Sgeureka / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (i-Construction Systems Lab): “Mangere Bridge Construction East Side” Ingolfson / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Mobile Robotics Lab): “Kilobot robot swarm” asuscreative / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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