A new robot mimics vertebrate motion

29. Based on X-ray videos, EPFL scientists have invented a new robot that mimics the way salamanders walk and swim with unprecedented detail: a tool for understanding the evolution of vertebrate locomotion. EPFL scientists have invented a new robot that mimics the gait of a salamander with unprecedented detail. The robot features 3D-printed bones, motorized joints and electronic circuitry as its "nervous system". Inspired by the salamander species Pleurodeles waltl , "Pleurobot" can walk, crawl, and even swim underwater. The results are featured today in the Royal Society journal Interface. Auke Ijspeert and his team at EPFL's Biorobotics Laboratory have built salamander robots before, but this is the first time that they have built a robot that is accurately based on the 3D motion of the animal's skeleton.