Biohybrid robotics and the case for boundary ethics

Mestre, Rafael and Astakhov, Sergey (2026) Biohybrid robotics and the case for boundary ethics. In, Barla, Josef and Tamborini, Marco (eds.) Living Techno-Natures: Biohybrid Objects, Life, and Technology. 1 ed. New York. Routledge. (doi:10.4324/9781003568568).

Abstract

This chapter examines the ethical, social, and conceptual challenges posed by biohybrid robotics, a field that integrates living tissues with artificial components to create hybrid systems. Existing ethical frameworks—ranging from Jonas’ responsibility ethics to biocentric and ecocentric approaches—struggle to accommodate the ontological ambiguity of entities that are neither wholly biological nor purely technological. Socio-political analyses highlight that these robots are not neutral artifacts but embody power relations and disciplinary hierarchies, while posthumanist perspectives foreground interdependence and decentering of the human. Yet the profound dependence of biohybrid robots on human intervention complicates notions of agency and autonomy. To address these tensions, the chapter proposes the concept of boundary ethics: a flexible, context-sensitive framework that draws on sociological concepts of trade zones and boundary objects to negotiate ethical responsibility across disciplines. Boundary ethics is presented not as a universal model but as an orientation that emphasizes ecological awareness, interdisciplinary negotiation, graded moral consideration, weak anthropocentrism, and care. The chapter concludes by outlining practical steps for embedding ethical deliberation early in the development of biohybrid robotics, ensuring that this emerging field evolves in alignment with democratic values, social justice, and ecological responsibility.

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Contributors

Author: Rafael Mestre

Author: Sergey Astakhov

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