Meet BirdBot, an energy-efficient robot leg - research published in Science Robotics

A team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of California, Irvine constructed a robot leg that, like its natural model, is very energy efficient. BirdBot benefits from a foot-leg coupling through a network of muscles and tendons that extends across multiple joints. In this way, BirdBot needs fewer motors than previous legged robots and could, theoretically, scale to large size. On March 16th, the researchers will publish their work in Science Robotics.

[ProjectDarkwood]

If someone doesn't use this information to build a life sized robotic dromaeosaurid is it even worth it

[РостиславГущин]

Надеюсь, эти технологии будут использованы во благо людям. 👍

[horacefields]

Excellent work and a terrific explanation. I have a feeling we'll be seeing many birdbots in the future.

[winterride]

Are you planning to open source the design?

[bushman]

Although not mentioned, the first and last bird shown in this excellent video is Dromaius novaehollandiae, or Emu, a flightless bird of Australia.

[Simplebutgreat]

Great work guys! Seeing this reminds me of the techniek used for walking the robot "Kain" from the robocop movie.

[alexgram]

What a COOL mech design - can´t wait for Skynet to go ONLINE!

[anrede]

BirdBots walking gait looks quite cool

[Slayr.]

Imagine robots running like ostriches.

[mbunds]

I see a lot of wires leading to various places on the limbs. Load cells?

[DaScorp]

*Mechwarrior Timberwolf enter the chat.*

[hay_Z]

I wish people started making biologically accurate animal legs like this, as well as biologically accurate bodies for robots instead of elbows on a toaster like that spot robot, and other 4 legged robots, implementing this would be much cooler, not to mention more can be done with a robot thats more sturdy, needs less power, and can move better,

[Hukkinen]

Wunderschön! I've for long had the intuition, that you could have a quite dexterous leg with only one DoF. This is it! There's a lot of passive computation done by the mechanics! Beautiful! 😀🦿🦾👌🙏

[zarodgaming]

The man who invented the wheel 4000 years ago, already being the perfect transport method: *how low has our civilization gone*

[footfault]

Let's scale it up! Say, T.rex!
Kinematics, GRF, duty factor, gait change to velocity ... You name it!

[frontech]

It's got chicken legs! IT'S GOT CHICKEN LEGS.

[cherylmC]

Bird leg robots should work very well in sandy environments. Prosthetic?

[williamhuang]

Hanzhen harmonicc drive gear,
robot arm joint,
strain wave reducer, over 30 years experience

[TeddyLeppard]

No reason why this kind of locomotion couldn't be used by a double amputee person also.

[BerndBuchegger]

Star Wars hatte also recht - der 2-beinige Walker wird endlich Realität! 😀