How important is it for robots to be inspired by biological systems? Some people argue that biology is our best and only model for robotics. Others say that biology teaches us valuable lessons, but that engineering can come up with its own, different solutions. The airplanes is a popular example of non-biomimetic engineering; people's first attempts to build flying machines were inspired by birds, but today's planes and helicopters share little in common with birds. Does it matter what kind of robot you are building (biomimetic or not)? Does it matter if it is going to interact with people?