Natural systems offer a wealth of solutions for robot design and autonomy. However, copying an animal mechanism or control circuit is rarely possible for two reasons. First, artificial materials and components are typically very different from those found in animals, and second, necessary detailed knowledge about the animal is often lacking. Instead, roboticists work with biologists to understand a particular biological system, extract the principles that are important for its function, and then engineer a solution based on those principles. This is often referred to as biologically inspired robotics or simply biorobotics.