Abstract
Fractional Calculus (FC) goes back to the beginning of the theory of differential calculus. Nevertheless, the application of FC just emerged in the last two decades. It has been recognized the advantageous use of this mathematical tool in the modelling and control of many dynamical systems. Having these ideas in mind, this paper discusses a FC perspective in the study of the dynamics and control of several systems. The paper investigates the use of FC in the fields of controller tuning, legged robots, electrical systems and digital circuit synthesis.

Abstract
This paper presents the mechanical construction of a climbing robot with wheeled locomotion and adhesion through permanent magnets. This machine is intended to be used in the inspection of different types of ferromagnetic structures, in order to, for instance, detect weaknesses due to corrosion, particularly in fuel tanks, ship hulls, etc. The vehicle will have a semi-autonomous behaviour, allowing a remote inspection process controlled by a technician, this way reducing the risks associated with the inspection of tall structures and ATEX places. The distinguishing characteristic of this robot is its dynamic adjustment system of the permanent magnets in order to assure the machine adhesion to the surfaces, even when crossing irregular and curved surfaces.

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Biological inspired robotics is an area experiencing an increasing research and development. In spite of all the recent engineering advances, robots still lack capabilities with respect to agility, adaptability, intelligent sensing, fault-tolerance, stealth, and utilization of in-situ resources for power when compared to biological organisms. The general premise of bio-inspired engineering is to distill the principles incorporated in successful, nature-tested mechanisms of selected features and functional behaviors that can be captured through biomechatronic designs and minimalist operation principles from nature success strategies. Based on these concepts, robotics researchers are interested in gaining an understanding of the sensory aspects that would be required to mimic nature design with engineering solutions. In this paper are analysed developments in this area and the research aspects that have to be further studied are discussed.