The Cheetah’s Tail Improves Robots

It is the fastest land animal in the world and for a long time scientists couldn’t work out how the cheetah manages to control its movement when moving at such high speeds. Similar to how you lean when turning a bicycle at a curve, the cheetah uses its tail to stabilise itself while running. South African robotics researchers wondered if this could be used to similar effect on moving vehicles. To test this, the team constructed a robotic vehicle with a detachable tail, programmed to respond like a cheetah’s. Without the tail the vehicle would fall over when making turns at high speed. But with the tail the vehicle remained stable, writes Voice Of America. Now the goal is to see how the cheetah’s tail technology can be applied to practical situations, such as high speed rescue operations.