Robotics experts often look to nature for inspiration for mechanical systems.
Different animals have evolved to walk, run, climb and scuttle in a variety of ways, and creating robots that mimic those creatures can be useful to help understand how animals’ bodies work while also providing novel vehicles (often with military applications), tools and toys.
The Mirror.co.uk has collected some of the best examples of animal-inspired robots, from the graceful to the creepy...
Cheetah
This robotic cheetah - called WildCat - can run and jump at speed, just like the big cat species. It’s been developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and they think they could manage to get it running at speeds of up to 30 mph - faster than Usain Bolt.
Tarantula
The T8 bio-inspired spider robot - create by Hong Kong-based robotics company Robugtix - has a creepily realistic 3D-printed exoskeleton that’s sure to freak out any arachnophobes. It features 26 different motors - three in each leg and another couple to allow it to wiggle its abdomen. Shudder.
Snake
If the spiderbot doesn’t freak you out, what about this snakebot. It writhes and wriggles across the ground and can even climb trees. It’s been developed by the Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.
Kangaroo
German robotics company Festo has developed a bionic kangaroo that can bounce just like its mammalian counterpart. The team has managed to replicate the way that kangaroos can increase their speed without using large amounts of energy, thanks to a unique jumping motion and powerful Achilles tendon. As a kangaroo jumps, it stores energy each time it lands and resizes it with the next hop.
Horse/Mule
AlphaDog is a four-legged horse/mule robot designed for military purposes to carry heavy loads of equipment. The sturdy machine can run across uneven and rocky terrain and it can also right itself very easily if it is pushed over or falls. It’s being trialed by the US Army and could one day be used on the battlefield.
Bird
Festo’s SmartBird is an ultralight but powerful flight model that copies the movement of a herring gull. It can start, fly and land autonomously. Its wings beat up and down and twist at angles in order to steer in an energy efficient way.