Distributed mechanical feedback in arthropods and robots simplifies control of rapid running on challenging terrain

@article{Spagna2007DistributedMF,
  title={Distributed mechanical feedback in arthropods and robots simplifies control of rapid running on challenging terrain},
  author={Joseph C. Spagna and Daniel I. Goldman and Ping-Chun Lin Ping-Chun Lin and Daniel E. Koditschek and Robert J. Full},
  journal={Bioinspiration \& Biomimetics},
  year={2007},
  volume={2},
  pages={9 - 18}
}
Terrestrial arthropods negotiate demanding terrain more effectively than any search-and-rescue robot. Slow, precise stepping using distributed neural feedback is one strategy for dealing with challenging terrain. Alternatively, arthropods could simplify control on demanding surfaces by rapid running that uses kinetic energy to bridge gaps between footholds. We demonstrate that this is achieved using distributed mechanical feedback, resulting from passive contacts along legs positioned by pre… 
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