I found an interesting article from the website Popular Mechanics about five new animal robots that are designed to look and act like animals. An emphasis is placed on the movement of these animal robots; although their form is mechanical and does not visually mimic those of organic animals, the movement of the robots is refined to closely mimic that of real animals. Small physical idiosyncrasies, such as the light, springy jump of a grasshopper, the easily-maneuverable sweep of a bird’s wrings, or the unique propelling movement of a jellyfish, are being researched and impersonated by researches via advanced animal robots. Additionally, these robots are programmed to interact with the environment and other robots in organic ways. I found this very intriguing, as man-made, mechanized forms are replicating innate, organic movements and form in a way that is objectively uncanny. Clearly, the area of animal robots has a great deal of potential and I postulate that it will become even more advanced and prominent in the near future.
Article link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a2900/4308043/