TY - GEN AU - Prescott, Tony J. AU - Lepora, Nathan F. AU - Verschure, Paul F. M. J. TI - Living machines: a handbook of research in biomimetics and biohybrid systems SN - 9780199674923 U1 - 006.3 PY - 2018/// CY - Oxford PB - Oxford University Press KW - Biomimicry KW - Biomimetics KW - Natural computation KW - Robots--Design and construction KW - Artificial intelligence--Biological applications KW - Robotics KW - Artificial intelligence N1 - Includes index and list of contributors N2 - Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of ideas from the study of biological systems. Biohybrids are formed through the combination of at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly engineered component. These two fields are united under the theme of Living Machines—the idea that we can construct artifacts that not only mimic life but also build on the same fundamental principles. The research described in this volume seeks to understand and emulate life’s ability to self-organize, metabolize, grow, and reproduce; to match the functions of living tissues and organs such as muscles, skin, eyes, ears, and neural circuits; to replicate cognitive and physical capacities such as perception, attention, locomotion, grasp, emotion, and consciousness; and to assemble all of these elements into integrated systems that can hold a technological mirror to life or that have the capacity to merge with it. We conclude with contributions from philosophers, ethicists, and futurists on the potential impacts of this remarkable research on society and on how we see ourselves. https://academic.oup.com/book/32673 ER -