Nature has always inspired science for progress. Festo is creating an ecosystem of robots. Their latest creation, a robot kangaroo called BionicKangaroo, mimics the look and movements of the animal.
Festo spent two years studying and copying kangaroo's mechanics. A kangaroo’s legs and foot tendons absorb and store energy when it hops, using its tail to act as a counterweight to balance itself. The BionicKangaroo mimics this, being one meter high and weighting seven kilograms.
Its pneumatic (air-powered) muscles are controlled by two options: either by using an external compressor or an onboard high-pressure storage tank. Its electronics are powered by rechargeable lithium battery and are packed into its torso, concentrating its center of gravity to help with balance. Valves supply air and power to the chips that control its legs and tail. It is controlled by gestures with the Myo armband from Thalmic Labs. You can read their report here.
We also recommend watching: "BionicOpter: The Dragonfly-Inspired Drone Piloted From Your Phone" and "MYO: Next-Generation Gesture Control Armband".
Festo: The Bionic Kangaroo
The first actual, cool application of Myo's armband
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