GrowBot · Project

Plant-Inspired Robots That Grow Their Own Body to Climb and Explore

manufacturingPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine a robot that doesn't walk or roll — it grows, like a vine climbing a wall. Instead of wheels or legs, it builds its own body as it moves forward, using a tiny 3D printer inside itself. The robot senses its surroundings and decides where to grow next, just like a climbing plant reaching for sunlight. It can squeeze through gaps, anchor itself to surfaces, and even harvest a bit of energy from real plants nearby.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

total project deliverables

industry partners including SMEs

4.5 years

project duration (Jan 2019 - Jun 2023)

The business problem

What needed solving

Many industries need robots that can navigate confined, cluttered, or unpredictable environments — collapsed buildings, tangled pipe networks, dense vegetation — where wheeled, legged, or tracked robots simply cannot operate. Current climbing robots fail when surfaces are irregular or when there is no predefined path. There is no good robotic solution for environments that require the machine to physically adapt its shape to squeeze through gaps and anchor to arbitrary surfaces.

The solution

What was built

The project developed plant-inspired robot prototypes that move by growing — using internal additive manufacturing to build their own body as they advance. Across 24 deliverables, the team created soft robotic systems with adaptive sensing, bio-hybrid energy harvesting from real plants, and a public traveling exhibition demonstrating the technology.

Audience

Who needs this

Pipeline and infrastructure inspection companies operating in confined spacesSearch-and-rescue technology providers for post-disaster environmentsEnvironmental monitoring firms needing persistent sensors in natural terrainOil and gas companies requiring inspection in complex offshore structuresSpace exploration agencies looking for lightweight adaptive exploration robots

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Infrastructure Inspection & Maintenance

mid-size

Target: Companies that inspect pipelines, bridges, or industrial facilities in hard-to-reach spaces

If you are an infrastructure inspection company dealing with confined spaces, collapsed structures, or tangled pipe networks where wheeled or legged robots get stuck — this project developed a growing robot concept that creates its own body to navigate through tight voids and anchor onto irregular surfaces. The approach was tested across a 10-partner consortium spanning 5 countries over 4.5 years of research.

Construction & Disaster Response

any

Target: Search-and-rescue technology providers or post-disaster assessment firms

If you are a disaster response technology provider struggling to survey collapsed buildings where conventional drones and robots cannot operate — this project developed plant-inspired robots that grow through rubble, negotiating voids and anchoring to debris without needing predefined paths. The robots use additive manufacturing to deposit new material with multi-functional properties based on what they sense around them.

Agriculture & Environmental Monitoring

SME

Target: Precision agriculture or environmental sensing companies

If you are an environmental monitoring company needing persistent sensors in forests, wetlands, or crop fields where traditional robots fail — this project developed bio-hybrid energy harvesting that generates power by interfacing soft technology with real plants. The growing robot approach means devices can embed themselves into natural environments and adapt their shape to the terrain over time.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access this technology?

The project was funded as a FET Proactive Research and Innovation Action, meaning it is publicly funded early-stage research. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the coordinator (Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) and relevant consortium partners. Based on available project data, no commercial pricing has been established.

Can this scale to industrial use?

Not yet. This is foundational research from the EU's Future and Emerging Technologies programme, which funds high-risk, early-stage science. The consortium of 10 partners across 5 countries produced 24 deliverables over 4.5 years, but the technology remains at a research stage. Significant engineering would be needed to move from lab prototypes to industrial products.

What intellectual property exists and who owns it?

IP generated during the project is owned by the consortium partners according to EU grant rules. With 5 universities, 3 research organizations, and 2 industry partners involved, IP may be distributed across multiple entities. Specific patents or licensing arrangements would need to be discussed with the coordinator in Italy.

How does the robot actually move and build itself?

The robot uses additive manufacturing processes inside its own body — essentially a built-in 3D printer that deposits new material as the robot advances. The material has multi-functional properties and is deposited based on what the robot senses in its environment, not from a pre-designed blueprint.

What is the timeline to a commercial product?

Based on available project data, this technology is still in the research-to-prototype stage. The project closed in June 2023 after 4.5 years of work. A commercial product would likely require several more years of engineering development, testing, and certification depending on the target application.

Is there regulatory approval needed?

Based on available project data, regulatory requirements were not a focus of this research project. Any commercial deployment would need to comply with EU machinery directives and robotics safety standards. Applications in disaster response or infrastructure would have additional sector-specific certification requirements.

Consortium

Who built it

The GrowBot consortium brings together 10 partners from 5 countries (Germany, Spain, France, Israel, Italy), led by Italy's Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia — a well-known robotics research centre. The mix is heavily academic: 5 universities and 3 research organizations versus just 2 industry partners (both SMEs), giving a 20% industry ratio. For a business looking to adopt this technology, that low industry involvement signals the work is still firmly in the research domain. The presence of partners from Israel and multiple EU countries suggests broad scientific expertise, but a company interested in commercialization would likely need to bring significant engineering and product development capability to the table.

FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIACoordinator · IT
ARKYNE TECHNOLOGIES SLparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITE DE MONTPELLIERthirdparty · FR
ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURGparticipant · DE
LINARI ENGINEERING SRLparticipant · IT
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM HEREON GMBHparticipant · DE
SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNAparticipant · IT
GRAN SASSO SCIENCE INSTITUTEparticipant · IT
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITYparticipant · IL
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Italy — a leading European robotics research institute. Contact their technology transfer office for licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore whether plant-inspired robotics could solve your inspection or access challenges? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the research team and assess fit for your specific use case.

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