Scientists across Europe seek inspiration from flora to develop robots and materials.
Europe is home to more than 20,000 plant species. Shaped by millions of years of evolution to withstand extreme conditions such as, droughts, floods, and harsh winters, plants convert sunlight into oxygen through photosynthesis, protect the soil from erosion and, not to forget, provide us with food.
In recent years, plants have also taken on a new role as a source of inspiration for European scientists. By combining technology with nature-based approaches, researchers and scientists could unlock new solutions to combat climate change. Biohybrid robots, for example, could help with to forest restoration, which is essential for climate adaptation, greenhouse gas removal, and biodiversity conservation.
Robots that mimic plants
Plantoids are robots designed to mimic the way plants grow, sense their surroundings, and adapt to the environment. Scientists are finding ways to use plant parts to explore new possibilities; from the root to the dead plant material.
One example is a robotic system inspired by the behavior of plant roots to explore soil and detect nutrients. This idea is the basis of the study “Biomimetic Plant-Root-Inspired Robotic Sensor System”, developed within the framework of the Plantoid Project.
As Dr. Mònica Mir Llorente, expert on sensors and one of the study authors from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona, Spain explains: “Plant roots can sense chemicals in the soil, such as nutrients. This ability of roots to grow toward nutrient-rich areas is called chemotropism. To develop the robotic components, we collaborated with the Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Pisa (Italy). Our team developed robotic roots that can move like real plant roots and designed special sensors for the tips of these roots able to measure nutrient levels and other soil conditions. By using the information from the sensors, the robots can explore the soil and robustly map the nutrient distribution within it.” – Read the full interview with Mònica Mir Llorente
Translating the principles of plant biomechanics into devices
Studying how plant roots sense nutrients and respond to changes in the soil is only the beginning. Researchers have gone a step further by combining dead plant parts with biodegradable materials such as flour, fertilizer, and seeds, creating capsules that interact with their surroundings. This approach not only allows for a more sustainable use of materials but also demonstrates how the principles of plants can be translated into devices capable of interacting with the environment.
One of those researchers is Dr. Isabella Fiorello.She leads a research group dedicated to the development of innovative biohybrid materials in the Cluster of Excellence for Living, Adaptive and Energy Autonomous Materials Systems at the University of Freiburg .
In a study published last year, Dr. Fiorello and her team described the constriction of miniature robots called HybriBots, inspired by wild oats, that are capable of seeking out humidity and burying themselves, along with a capsule carrying a “cargo”, in the soil.
Wild oats grow almost everywhere. The fruits of wild oats have special thin, hairy appendages called “awns”. Environmental humidity changes, cause part of the awn to twist and store energy, which, when released, causes the fruit to “jump” and bury itself in the soil. In this way, the fruit finds cracks in the soil where it can germinate.
“For my paper,” explains Dr. Isabella Fiorello, “I tested different types of soil in the lab, using the system as a tool to deliver seeds. In that case, I used very common tomato seeds. But if there is a need for another type of seed, fertilizer, or chemical, it can also be embedded inside the robots. Once released in the environment, the robots can degrade and release the seed, fertilizer, or chemical.” – Read the full interview with Isabella Fiorello
Plant-inspired approachescan help Europe to be greener
Projects like Plantoid and hybrid robots are a perfect example of how multidisciplinary collaboration can lead to innovation. Fabian Gerd Meder, an Associate Professor at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy, leads the Lab for Surface Phenomena and Integrated Systems.
He believes robotics and next-generation technologies can learn a lot about sustainability from plants: “Plants build tissues, mechanisms, and photosynthetic systems using only CO₂, water, light, and nutrients from their surroundings. Assembling robots in the same manner is not yet realistic, but we could come closer to a more sustainable production. Thus, I think that plant-inspired approaches often begin with the materials and such an approach can help Europe to be greener. Not every robotic function must mimic plants, but incorporating plant-inspired features could add really important value.”
According to Prof. Gerd Meder, “Many plant functions, like oxygen production or self-healing, are still difficult to reproduce artificially, so integrating plants directly into technology could be crucial. Architecture already applies this concept, for example, using vegetation for structural reinforcement or resilience against floods and fires. Beyond mimicking or servicing plants, hybrid systems may also merge artificial devices with living plants.”
He and his colleagues developed energy-harvesting systems that use the natural motion of leaves in wind or raindrops, together with plant tissue conductivity, to generate enough energy to power sensors.
“These energy-autonomous sensors could monitor microclimates in agriculture or cities without harming the plant or the environment. This demonstrates how plants can gain new functions, like electricity generation, while increasing their ecological presence,” adds Professor Gerd Meder.
Integrating technology with plant-inspired approaches to boost climate adaptation
Research in the field of plantoids and hybrid systems might support natural processes like afforestation. Prof. Dr. Edouard Davin, a climate scientist at the Wyss Academy of Nature who studies interactions between the terrestrial biosphere, land use, and climate, says: “When it comes to addressing climate change, we often see a dichotomy between technology-oriented solutions and more nature-based approaches. In fact, these two types of strategies are not necessarily mutually exclusive and combining them may even represent the most effective path forward. It is therefore interesting to see the emergence of approaches such as biohybrids, which are rooted in technological innovation yet inspired by nature. Because they could, for instance, help disperse seeds, they may potentially contribute to forest restoration, which is an important strategy for climate adaptation, greenhouse gas removal, and biodiversity conservation.”
According to Professor Davin, it is too early to say whether they would offer a clear advantage over classical approaches such as manual planting. A key test will be to assess whether using biohybrids can help increase the survival rates of seedlings, which is often a limiting factor in reforestation efforts.
All in all, Europe’s flora offers far more than beauty and ecological benefits; it also serves as a blueprint for sustainable innovation. By studying plants, scientists are developing biohybrid robots, technologies that could transform how we monitor and interact with our environment. These projects highlight the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, demonstrating that solutions to climate challenges and biodiversity loss might be found at the very tip of a plant’s root.
Related content:
• A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Mònica Mir Llorente on robotic plant roots
• A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Isabella Fiorello on plant-inspired materials and robots