Justin Yim, a recent UC Berkeley graduate who worked with CITRIS and the Banatao Institute researchers Robert Full and Ronald Fearing, has developed a robot that can stick a landing on a narrow rod, based on an analysis of the biomechanics of squirrel leaps and landings.
“How do you take the robots we have now to the next level? How do you get robots to navigate a challenging environment in a disaster where you have pipes and beams and wires?” said Full. “Squirrels could do that, no problem. Robots can’t do that.”
Observing high-speed video and sensor measurements of squirrel jumps to determine their natural control strategies, the team learned how the animal corrects for undershooting or overshooting a jump. They applied the knowledge to with adjustments to Salto, a one-legged robot built to parkour, which was then able to repeatedly land and balance on a thin rod.
The achievement is a big step in the design of more agile robots, such as machines that can maneuver through challenging environments like buildings under construction or tree canopies.