Scientists Add Tails to Robots After Watching Lizards Jump With a High Speed Camera
Scientists at UC Berkeley added tails to little robots after studying jumping agama lizards with a high speed camera. The tails give the robots more stability when they jump or roll over a bump. The researchers say, "By utilizing both contact forces and zero net angular momentum maneuvering, our tailed robot can rapidly right itself in a fall, avoid flipping over after a large perturbation, and smoothly transition between surfaces of different slopes." Take a look:
