Why are they slower?

Scientists analyzed more than a hundred previous studies and compared robots to animals in categories such as power, frame, actuation, perception and control. They say their findings were surprising.

Our most advanced work doesn’t lag far behind in any category. The problem is We haven’t figured out how to bring all these different elements together yet just like nature has managed to do over millions of years of evolution.

At the system level, it’s not doing so well. We face trade-offs inherent in design. If we try to optimize something like forward speed, we may lose something else, like turning ability.
says Kaushik Jayaram, a mechanical engineer at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

As an example, Jayaram talks about a cockroach-inspired robot he helped develop in 2020. Moves back and forth quickly, but has difficulty changing direction or moving on uneven surfaces.

These trade-offs can also turn into an advantage when the two processes interact in unexpected ways that help the system. Although this type of interaction is more likely in more complex systems, it is difficult to predict (if at all).

Researchers also state that: Even the smallest insects surpass most robots in their ability to perceive the world around them and adapt their actions to it. Flexibility and agility are critical if you want to move quickly and safely.

energy problems

And there is energy. Although motors and batteries outperform tissues and muscles in some respects, in animals energy is fully integrated with sensory information in the same cellular subunits.

In a way, animals are the embodiment of this highest design principle, a system that works very well together. Nature is a very useful teacher,
Jayaram added.

One of the main motivations for the new research is that it could inspire engineers to create more flexible and agile robots that can adapt their movement patterns depending on the scenario.

The research group recommends focusing on improving the creation of “functional units.” different elements combine as in animal cells — elements such as energy, sensitivity and movement.

This tactic will provide more opportunities to explore negative trade-offs and potential features. Until we better understand these factors, cheetahs and cockroaches will continue to dominate.

The engineer says that after 200 years of intense engineering work, we have managed to send spacecraft to the Moon and Mars, but he regrets that we still do not have robots that are significantly superior in acting on biological systems. natural environment.