Biomimetics is developing new technologies inspired by the study of biological systems. The development of many future technologies will largely depend on the understanding and use of the underlying principles of living systems and the flow of communication signals established between systems of artificial life.

Biohybrid systems are formed by combining a biologically-based component with newly created artificial components or devices. This category encompasses biohybrid robots that interact intelligently with their environment (sensors, actuators, processors); biomimetic emulations of intelligent behaviour; brain-machine interfaces; neural implants; artificial organs, intelligent chips and prostheses, man-machine interaction, etc.

From 28 to 31 July the La Pedrera building in Barcelona is hosting the 4 ^th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid  Systems:  Living Machines 2015.  Paul Verschure and Anna Mura, director and member of the Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems Research Group (SPECS ), respectively, are part of the organizing committee, together with Tony Prescott and Stuart Wilson of the University of Sheffield and Nathan Lepora from the University of Bristol.

The congress programme includes five plenary lectures given by leading international experts in the field of knowledge and a special session for which Nimish Bilo, of the Technological University of Delft (Netherlands) has been invited who is to give the presentation "Living Machines and Design", as well as two oral communication sessions, posters and spotlights.

Satellite events held on the Poblenou campus

On 28 July, UPF's Poblenou campus will be hosting three unique satellite events:

• The Robot Self : A workshop that explores the extent to which a robot can be aware of itself, in a similar way to humans. An approach that opens the way for the development of robots with an understanding of people's intentions and needs. The organizers pose the question of whether this would be possible and if the robot's actions could be controlled. As Paul Verschure, ICREA researcher and one of the organizers of the workshop states, "we will examine the different aspects of what it means in humans to be oneself and we will study how we could translate this into robotics at the same time as we will learn about the human condition".
• Nature-Inspired Manufacturing is a project for the creation of biomimetic centres in the UK and Europe with the aim of offering innovative products that preserve the environment. The organizers claim that "our mission is: to generate products with an economic impact on society, through a synergy between science, engineering, the humanities, and with the participation of industrial partners".
• Bio-Inspired Design: Methods and Practice , a workshop involving architects and biologists to teach participants how to explore nature and its design. Translating biological knowledge to technological innovations.

Living Machines 2015 has the support of the Convergent Science Network (CSN II) for Biomimetics and Neurotechnology, in the framework of the Future Emerging Technologies (FET) coordination actions of the 7 ^th Framework Programme of the European Union. In addition to the support of Pompeu Fabra University, the conference is also partnered by Phonos, the Government of Catalonia, and the University of Sheffield (UK).

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"Living Machines" explores the creation of biohybrid technology

The iCub displayed in an exhibition at the Science Museum in London

SPECS, organizer of Living Machines: biomimetic and biohybrid systems