Clawed robot mimics bird landing and perching

Described in Science Robotics, SNAG (stereotyped nature-inspired aerial grasper) is based on the legs of a peregrine falcon. 3D printed structures mimic bones, while motors and fishing line replicate the bird’s muscles and tendons. Each of the robot’s legs has a motor for moving back and forth and a second motor for grasping. A tendon-like mechanism in the legs converts the energy from impact with the branch into grasping force, triggering a high-speed clutch in around 20 milliseconds. Once the claws are locked on to the branch, an accelerometer confirms the landing and initiates a balancing algorithm to stabilise the robot.

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“It’s not easy to mimic how birds fly and perch,” said William Roderick, a graduate student from the labs of Stanford University engineers Mark Cutkosky and David Lentink. “After millions of years of evolution, they make take-off and landing look so easy, even among all of the complexity and variability of the tree branches you would find in a forest.”