Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsThe key to creating the next generation of robots may not lie in cutting-edge algorithms, materials or motors, but in the mechanics of large, flightless birds.in Germany have developed a more efficient system that enables robots to walk by mimicking the series of tendons and muscles in the legs of an emu.” requires fewer motors and expends a quarter of the energy of leading existing models, the researchers say.
Improvements in battery density should eventually allow robots to run for longer without recharging. Incorporating solar panels could make it possible for robots to operate 24/7 — but they will need to walk more efficiently to prevent them from burning through the battery’s power supply quicker than it can recharge. The current models consume significant amounts of energy — particularly to lift up the legs before a stride.
In ostriches — which weigh more than 200 pounds and speed through the savanna on their gangly legs at speeds of up to 30 mph — this is not an issue. Their foot acts as a switch that automatically triggers the motions that power it forward — a process replicated in the Birdbot. Previously, robot motors were switched on and off depending on where in the stride the robot is. Just as the foot eliminates the need for the nervous system to kick in in emus, in robots it removes the need for a complex series of sensors and motors. Instead it uses a built-in reflex: When the foot hits the ground, the leg springs back.
Nature spent 3.8 billion years testing the best options on every field.