BirdBot is Energy-efficient Thanks to Nature as A Model
Published:16 Mar.2022 Source:Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
If a Tyrannosaurus Rex living 66 million years ago featured a similar leg structure as an ostrich running in the savanna today, then we can assume bird legs stood the test of time -- a good example of evolutionary selection.
Graceful, elegant, powerful -- flightless birds like the ostrich are a mechanical wonder. Ostriches, some of which weigh over 100kg, run through the savanna at up to 55km/h. The ostriches outstanding locomotor performance is thought to be enabled by the animal's leg structure. Unlike humans, birds fold their feet back when pulling their legs up towards their bodies. Why do the animals do this? Why is this foot movement pattern energy-efficient for walking and running? And can the bird's leg structure with all its bones, muscles, and tendons be transferred to walking robots?