From a bird-like surveillance drone to a quadruped robot, students are turning lessons from nature into machines built for real world tasks at Mysore.
A student-led robotics club at JSS Science and Technology University (JSS STU), Mysuru, showcased a range of bio-inspired robotic systems during the university’s Open Day, highlighting how principles from nature can be applied to modern engineering challenges.
Developed by the Advanced Integrated Systems for Cybernetics (AISC) club, the projects combine mechanical design, embedded electronics, sensing technologies, and adaptive control algorithms. The showcase featured Jatayu, a bird inspired ornithopter surveillance drone, RoboDog, a quadruped robot, and a six axis robotic arm designed for industrial automation applications.
Among the highlights was Jatayu, an ornithopter that mimics bird flight using flapping wings instead of conventional fixed wing or multirotor designs. The lightweight platform uses a carbon fibre reinforced airframe and flexible wing structures to achieve low noise propulsion and agile manoeuvrability. Equipped with GPS, inertial sensors, and a downward facing camera, it can perform autonomous waypoint navigation, aerial surveys, visual reconnaissance, and mapping tasks while capturing geotagged imagery.
The club also demonstrated RoboDog, a four legged robot designed for mobility and interaction. Built around a lightweight skeletal frame with compact servo actuators, the robot uses compliant joints and a low centre of gravity to maintain stability during rapid movement and terrain transitions. Its modular architecture also allows future upgrades and experimentation.
Completing the display was a six axis robotic arm capable of adapting to a variety of industrial applications, demonstrating the club’s broader interest in automation and intelligent machines.
The projects reflect the club’s focus on hands-on learning and interdisciplinary research, encouraging students to explore robotics, sensing, actuation, and system integration through practical development and experimentation.
