Muddy Bot robot mimics mudskippers

In order to study how first land animals moved 360 million years ago, researchers build MuddyBot. The robot was inspired by mudskippers (Periopthalmus barbaratus) and allowed researchers to vary the physical parameters. Results suggest that the powerful tails may have been more important than previously realized. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology Tail use improves performance on soft substrates in models of early vertebrate land locomotors Benjamin McInroe, Henry C. Astley, Chaohui Gong, Sandy M. Ka