Could a robot that mimics a lizard’s walking and climbing ability provide new insights into the evolution and advantages of different movements in humans and other animals?
The answer is yes, according to a new multidisciplinary international study published overnight in Nature’s Robotsco-authored by Dr Christopher Clemente of the University of the Sunshine Coast.
“These findings may also help us build faster and more efficient legged robots,” said Dr. Clemente, who specializes in the biomechanics of living and extinct animals.
“This could one day become important for bypassing obstacles to find survivors during search and rescue missions.”
“Our research team developed a lizard-inspired robot that can run and climb, combining biology, robotics and mathematics based on lizard locomotion to understand whether it is better to move using legs or a spine,” said Dr. Clemente.
“We found that if you want to move quickly, you should mostly use your legs and move your spine as little as possible. But using your spine a little helps you use less energy.
“We also determined that moving the limbs or spine too much tended to reduce stability while climbing, meaning the robots were more likely to fall off the wall.”
Lizards are masters of movement.
“In general, we found that optimal movement required movement of the spine and limbs, which closely matches movement patterns among lizards,” said lead author Dr. Robert Rockenfeller of the University of Koblenz.
“The results make it possible to detail the extent of evolutionary trade-offs between three key performance criteria – speed, efficiency and stability – and to determine the relative strength of these selective pressures on movement,” Dr. Rockenfeller said.
Dr. Clemente said that movement patterns among vertebrates vary greatly, from lateral, spine-based movements in fish and salamanders to primarily limb-based movements in mammals and birds.
“However, lizards use their limbs and spines, making them the ideal species to study to help fill in gaps in understanding about why these changes occur,” he added.
The lizard-inspired robot developed by the research team was able to run on a level surface and climb on inclined or vertical surfaces, with adjustable leg lengths and the ability to adjust the range of motion of the spine, limbs, and stride speed.
“We also built a performance scene to evaluate climbing efficiency and stability,” said Dr. Clemente.
“These data were plotted using results from a two-dimensional theoretical model of lizard locomotion as well as measurements of more than 40 species of climbing and running lizards.”
These results could lead to “huge strides” in designing faster, more efficient legged robots.
We have identified several engineering criteria that must be considered when developing robotic limbs capable of traversing a wide range of environments.
“The lateral undulation of the spine should not be an important consideration if maximizing robot speed is the primary goal, but it can be important to minimize energy consumption.”
Similarly, this understanding may also help in designing faster, more stable, and more efficient robotic steps.
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