Soft robotics has opened a unique path to flexibility and environmental adaptability, learning from nature and reproducing biological behaviors. Nature implies answers for how to apply robots to real life. To find out how we learn from creatures to design and apply soft robots, in this Review, we propose a classification method to summarize soft robots based on different functions of biological systems: self-growing, self-healing, self-responsive, and self-circulatory. The bio-function based classification logic is presented to explain why we learn from creatures. State-of-art technologies, characteristics, pros, cons, challenges, and potential applications of these categories are analyzed to illustrate what we learned from creatures. By intersecting these categories, the existing and potential bio-inspired applications are overviewed and outlooked to finally find the answer, that is, how we learn from creatures.

By using a combination of machines, sensory devices, embedded computational intelligence and various communication mechanisms, CPS monitor physical elements with computer-based algorithms tied to the internet. This means they are capable of autonomously functioning based on their physical surroundings. In light of the advancements in analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and communications, there is an increased demand for intelligent machines that can interact with the environment around them, such as driverless cars which monitor and communicate with their surroundings, and smart appliances that optimise energy consumption. CPS are stimulating significant changes in quality of life and forming the basis of smart infrastructure, products, and services. As this kind of technology continues to become more integrated into our everyday lives, here are four areas of CPS we can expect to come to the fore.