Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have modelled an improved highly energy efficient robot leg for their Birdbot robot based on the structures of legs from ostriches, which share the same features and mechanisms as the legs of the Tyrannosaurus Rex 66 millions years ago. This structure of the leg surviving 66million years till today indicates its efficiency and benefits in the competition of natural selection. Unlike humans and most other legged mammals, birds and the T rex fold their feet back towards their body when walking and this movement energy transfer was found to be much more energy efficient.
The robot leg is made up of a complex system of a multi joint muscle and tendon system that uses elastic potential energy rather than mechanical energy for the robot to remain upright. They tested their hypothesis for the energy efficient design by constructing a robot with bird-like legs and walking it on a treadmill. They observed very minimal energy required to remain standing upright and when flexing the knees and the leg.
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