04/06/2026
At 2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation ICRA , Barbara Mazzolai, Associate Director for Robotics and Director of the Bioinspired Soft Robotics Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), delivered a plenary talk titled “Natural Revolution: Biological Principles for Frugal and Sustainable Robotics.” Her presentation explored how nature can inspire a new generation of robots that are more adaptive, efficient, and sustainable.
Mazzolai opened by recalling the influential definition of sustainability from the 1987 Brundtland Report:
“Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
She explained how this concept has guided her research and how it can also shape the future of robotics. Drawing inspiration from living organisms, Mazzolai highlighted how nature achieves remarkable functionality while minimizing energy and material consumption. Plants, for example, can sense and respond to environmental stimuli such as humidity, light, and temperature without a central nervous system. These principles are inspiring new robotic systems for applications including agriculture, environmental monitoring, and ecosystem restoration.
A central theme of the talk was the concept of , envisioning robots that are increasingly integrated into natural environments and capable of adapting, learning, and interacting with living organisms.
“Robots will be more and more integrated in our environment. They will be able to interact with living organisms, to grow, to learn, and to adapt.”
Looking further ahead, Mazzolai proposed a future in which robots are designed according to principles of circularity and sustainability, with materials that can be reused or naturally reintegrated into the environment at the end of their lifecycle.
She also emphasized the need for new educational paths and interdisciplinary skills, bringing together robotics, biology, engineering, and environmental sciences to train the next generation of innovators.
Concluding her plenary, Mazzolai left the audience with a powerful reflection:
“We are entering a new era of robotics—an era where biology might not only inspire robotics. It may redefine what robots are.”
Her talk offered a compelling vision of robotics inspired by nature, where sustainability becomes a fundamental design principle rather than an afterthought.
