Cockroach Inspired Robots May Lead to Better Prostheses

John Schmitt and colleagues at Oregon State University have been working to improve robotic locomotion by studying the ambulatory characteristics of cockroaches and guinea hens. Cockroaches have the ability to tread over rough terrain three times their hip height while slowing by only twenty percent. The team has successfully developed a computer model allowing a robot to cover such terrain nearly as dexterously as these critters, and is further exploring the relationships between several factors, such as energy expenditure and storage, to improve perturbation recovery. Eventually the group intends to create a physical model and hopes that their work can one day be applied to improving human prosthetic devices.
Full story from the National Science Foundation: Insects Inspire Robot Design…