Many quadrupedal robots can successfully cope with uneven or sloping terrain, but only if the ground beneath them is relatively stable. Given the slippery and muddy conditions, a four-legged machine can quickly stumble or fail completely. But one engineering team believes they’ve found a solution by imitating animals commonly found in swamp habitats. According to a study published in Bioinspiration and biomimetics Dog bots could soon take inspiration from giant moose, according to researchers at Estonia’s Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech).
[Related: Why animals run faster than their robot doppelgängers… for now.]
“[M]ost robots cannot access a wide range of highly important terrestrial environments, such as wetlands, swamps, coastal wetlands, river estuaries, and wild fields,” says Marja Kruusmaa, professor of biorobotics and team leader at Tartec. explained. In an accompanying statement January 2nd.
But ungulates (animals with cloven hooves, such as cows and elk) are evolutionarily equipped to deal with these tricky situations. After conducting physics experiments looking at real moose feet, researchers discovered that cloven hooves are key to moving through mud and similarly waterlogged terrain. This is due to the hoof’s ability to expand and contract with each foot drop. The exposed contact area of each toe increases and decreases as it moves in and out of muddy ground, helping to prevent the elk from sinking too deeply into the mire. But more important is the suction properties of the split hoof.
“We found that moose hooves act like suction cups, similar to pushing a claw under its surface to break the suction,” said biorobotics doctoral candidate and research co-author. Author Simon Gordon said:
Godon also likened the physical properties of mud to wet bathroom tiles that stick to your feet after getting out of the shower. But unlike humans, the movement of moose’s hooves allows them to break surface tension and avoid getting stuck in the mud.
Following the moose test, researchers designed silicone slippers for quadrupedal robots. Laboratory analysis showed that the ungulate-inspired boots reduced sink depth by about 46 percent and reduced suction by about the same amount. The attachment also reduced the machine’s walking energy costs by as much as 70%.
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From there, the engineers took one of their moose-footed dogbots for a walk through the Estonian forest. Further measurements showed that mechanical transport costs were reduced by more than 38% and speeds were increased by 55%. Additionally, the team noted in their study that they “found no drawbacks to the split-hoove-inspired design on hard surfaces.”
“[This] “Our results suggest that redesigning the legs of quadrupedal robots can improve their overall versatility and efficiency in natural terrain,” the researchers concluded.
These simple silicon modifications could allow future quadrupedal robots to access previously impossible environments and assist in land surveying, security, and rescue operations.
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