Cheetahs inspire LEAP in development of soft robotics

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Cheetahs have inspired the development of LEAP, a new type of soft robot that can move more quickly on solid surfaces than previous generations of soft robots.

The new soft robotics are fast in water and also capable of grabbing objects delicately, or with enough strength to lift heavy objects.

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"Cheetahs are the fastest creatures on land, and they derive their speed and power from the flexing of their spines," said Jie Yin, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of a paper on the new soft robots published in Science Advances.

"We were inspired by the cheetah to create a type of soft robot that has a spring-powered, 'bistable' spine, meaning that the robot has two stable states," Yin said in a statement. "We can switch between these stable states rapidly by pumping air into channels that line the soft, silicone robot. Switching between the two states releases a significant amount of energy, allowing the robot to quickly exert force against the ground. This enables the robot to gallop across the surface, meaning that its feet leave the ground.

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