What is it about?
The most common legged robots, human-like and dog-like, suffer the same weakness to leg damage as their living counterparts. For use in exploration or other uses that would make it difficult for repairs, this damage should be expected and prepared for. To do this, a spider-inspired robot was designed and fabricated to test if having more legs allows the robot to continue walking after leg loss.
Featured Image
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Our work prioritizes the least-complex solution, where the robot is expected to keep working without Machine Learning or sensors, and all custom parts are 3D printed.
Perspectives
Bio-inspired robotics feels “mad science” to most, and can be considered impractical. However, this paper proves that there is a viability to researching these ideas as they apply to exploration. I hope that this paper can inspired others to think outside the box, and continue a dialogue of “how can we get there” without a restriction on creativity.
Samantha Kammerer
Johns Hopkins University
It was through working on this publication that I met the love of my life. While I doubt this article will have the same impact on you, I hope you find it at least interesting - or better yet, helpful to your scientific pursuits.
Ethan Shelstad
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Space Platform for Intelligent Dynamic Exploration and Robust Walking (S.P.I.D.E.R.), July 2025, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2025-4029.
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