# Episode 166: Evolving robot bodies and brains - Rika Antonova

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2026-10-16
- Length: 26m
- Episode: 166
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova

## Summary

Rika Antonova, an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, explains co-evolution in robotics, where hardware and software algorithms evolve simultaneously to optimize performance. She details the use of rapid prototyping and simulation to iterate through millions of designs, highlighting the 'codesign gym' framework and collaborations with Morpher AI and Carnegie Mellon University. Antonova discusses how this approach unlocks new dexterity capabilities, such as custom silicon fingertips for delicate medical handling, funded by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency's Robot Dexterity programme.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=6) Introduction: Robot Evolution and Co-design
- [4:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=292) The Feasibility of Evolving Hardware and Software
- [6:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=381) Biological vs. Computational Co-evolution Speeds
- [10:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=657) Simulation Iterations and Real-World Constraints
- [12:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=769) Structuring the Search Space: Structural Affinity
- [16:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=971) Unexpected Behaviors and the Codesign Gym Framework
- [20:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=1201) ARIA Robot Dexterity Programme and Collaborations
- [22:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova#t=1378) Concrete Examples: Silicon Fingertips and Medical Applications

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- University of Cambridge (company)
- Carnegie Mellon University (company)
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (company)
- Stanford University (company)
- Google (company)
- Advanced Research + Invention Agency (company)
- Robot Dexterity programme (other)
- Morpher AI (company)
- codesign gym (other)
- Emma Hart (other)
- Yan Petish (other)
- EPFL (company)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-10-16-episode-166-evolving-robot-bodies-and-brains-rika-antonova. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Robot Talk.