Scientists create dog-sized robot to study how animals learn to walk

Jul 19, 2022

New Delhi, July 19 (ANI): The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart conducted a study to discover how animals learn to walk and learn from stumbling. They created a four-legged, dog-sized robot to assist them in figuring out the details. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Nature Machine Intelligence'. A newborn giraffe or foal must learn to walk on its legs as fast as possible to avoid predators. Animals are born with muscle coordination networks located in their spinal cord. However, learning the precise coordination of leg muscles and tendons takes some time. Initially, baby animals rely heavily on hard-wired spinal cord reflexes. While somewhat more basic, motor control reflexes help the animal to avoid falling and hurting themselves during their first walking attempts. The following, more advanced and precise muscle control must be practiced, until eventually the nervous system is well adapted to the young animal's leg muscles and tendons. No more uncontrolled stumbling - the young animal can now keep up with the adults.