# Episode Thirty-Six: Ignazio Maria Viola

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2023-02-10
- Length: 18m
- Episode: 36
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola

## Summary

Professor Ignazio Maria Viola from the University of Edinburgh discusses his ERC Consolidator Grant Dandidrone project, which applies bio-inspired fluid mechanics to create unpowered, dandelion-inspired drones for swarm sensing. He explains the aerodynamic challenge of flying at insect scale, highlighting the discovery of a stable 'separated vortex ring' enabled by the seed's porosity. Viola details the structural engineering hurdles, noting that conventional manufacturing produces objects 100 times heavier than the 0.6mg target, requiring collaboration with Heriot-Watt University and biomedical fabrication techniques. The episode covers applications for environmental monitoring, including air quality sampling and crop health assessment, using biodegradable or self-consuming sensors.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=7) Introduction: Ignazio Maria Viola and Bio-inspired Robotics
- [2:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=163) Aerodynamics of Insect Scale and Dandelion Efficiency
- [5:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=312) Mimicking Dandelion Seed Characteristics and Porosity
- [8:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=484) Structural Challenges and Biomedical Manufacturing Collaboration
- [11:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=684) Unpowered Sensor Networks and Paradigm Shifts
- [13:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=804) Environmental Applications: Air Quality and Crop Monitoring
- [15:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-02-10-episode-thirty-six-ignazio-maria-viola#t=925) Future Biomimetic Contributions: Locomotion and Reconfiguration

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- University of Edinburgh (company)
- Dandidrone (product)
- Heriot-Watt University (company)
- University of Washington (company)
- UK Robotics Network (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [23. Bird-Inspired Drone Wings, Scaling Digital Twins, Tracking Microplastics From Space](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-06-22-23-bird-inspired-drone-wings-scaling-digital-twins-tracking-microplastics-from-s) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [75. Size Matters: Tiny Biomimicry Leads to Big Breakthroughs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-06-21-75-size-matters-tiny-biomimicry-leads-to-big-breakthroughs) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [89. The Flying 3D Printers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-09-27-89-the-flying-3d-printers) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [12. Ford Trucks Made From Trash, NASA’s Ingenuity Drone, Snake-Inspired Nonslip Shoes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-04-06-12-ford-trucks-made-from-trash-nasas-ingenuity-drone-snake-inspired-nonslip-shoe) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [49. What Robots Can Learn from Starfish and Falcons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-12-21-49-what-robots-can-learn-from-starfish-and-falcons) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

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