Research being done in Germany may affect the way robots move.
Martin Gross of the University of Jena is studying the way three-legged dogs move, thinking it could change the way robots get around if they lose one of their limbs.
Here's the story from Discovery News.
He noticed that his brother's three-legged dog, despite missing a hind limb due to cancer, was still faster than three other family dogs who had all four legs.
The same cannot be said of robots. If they lose a limb, they're likely to topple over, since they cannot readjust to the new way of walking. The entire robot could be rendered useless.
Gross said terrestrial locomotion is designed for an even number of legs. With the loss of a limb, there needs to be a reorganization of the way one gets around.
The study is part of the European Union's Locomorph project to help develop robots that can adapt in the event of an "injury."
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