On Sep 8, 2023 – Our stick insect robot, called ‘Black Mirror,’ was published in IEEE Spectrum on Video Friday: Tensegrity Wheels. This work draws inspiration from stick insect locomotion to teach robots how to walk using a novel system of self-organized limb movement. Initially, we tracked the joint and limb movements of a stick insect and subsequently translated this information into a stick insect robot. The robot features six legs, each equipped with three joints, and a foot contact feedback. The self-organized system was implemented on each leg of the robot, enabling it to walk without the need for a central connection between each appendage. As a result, in certain tests, the robot closely emulated stick insect motion, while in others, it exhibited novel patterns of movement.
Credit : IEEE Spectrum : Video Friday