In the new episode of the ABC of Modernity podcast, we look at what representatives of the animal world inspire modern scientists and roboticists
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What is zoomorphism
Initially, zoomorphism or theriomorphism is endowing people with the qualities of animals. Zoomorphism is characteristic of many ancient polytheistic religions and some modern ones, in particular, Hinduism. The gods were represented as animals, such as the ancient Egyptian Anubis, and sacred animals were seen as the embodiment of the essence of the gods.
In modern realities, the concept of zoomorphism is used in the context of robotics. Many robots are “animated” to look like animals. Perhaps the most famous zoomorphic robots are made by Boston Dynamics. Among them is the four-legged BigDog, which really resembles a large dog with a height of 0,74 m. It can deliver loads weighing up to 150 kg and run at speeds up to 6,4 km/h. His younger companion is the Spot robot, which is smaller and much lighter. It moves on four legs at a speed of 1,6 m/s.
The cheetah, the world’s fastest animal, inspired Boston Dynamics to create the CHEETAH robot. At the time of its creation in 2012, CHEETAH was also the fastest among robots – it can reach a speed of 45,5 km / h. The descendant of the “cheetah” was the “wild cat” – the robot WildCat.
Most Boston Dynamics robots were developed for military purposes by order of the US Department of Defense. Therefore, they are not available to the general public. But this niche was occupied by Sony with its Aibo – a mechanical dog. Aibo is even more reminiscent of a real dog than BigDog and Spot. He can walk, recognize surrounding objects, and even imitate several emotions.
Due to the recognition effect, zoomorphic robots evoke more tenderness in people than “soulless” pieces of metal. But scientists don’t just make their inventions look like animals out of sentimentality. They borrow engineering technologies from nature itself: for example, the shape of the Crabster robot, designed in South Korea in the image of a sea crab, allows it to withstand underwater currents. Rescue robots from the CMU Robotic Institute look like snakes because the shape helps them climb steep slopes.