Engineers have long designed robots that crawl, swim, fly, and even slither like snakes. But no robot has ever matched the agility of a squirrel—until now.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a robot that can leap between branches and land with precision, just like a squirrel.
Their research, published in Science Robotics, is a major step forward in making robots more agile for real-world challenges.
Squirrels are among nature’s best athletes. They can jump across gaps, land on thin branches, and escape predators with ease.
Inspired by these abilities, researchers studied how squirrels control their leaps and landings.
Their goal was to apply these principles to robot design, helping machines navigate tricky environments like disaster zones, forests, or construction sites.
The team modified an existing one-legged robot called Salto, which was originally developed at UC Berkeley in 2016. Salto could already hop and balance, but it struggled to land on narrow surfaces like branches.
Justin Yim, a researcher at the University of Illinois and former Berkeley student, helped program Salto to adjust its posture mid-air.
This allows the robot to balance itself upon landing. Just like a human playing hopscotch, Salto now reacts to its movements by crouching or extending its leg to stabilize itself.
To perfect Salto’s landings, the team looked at how squirrels absorb shock and balance. High-speed video recordings showed that squirrels use their front legs to absorb most of the impact, performing a kind of “handstand” on branches.
They also twist their bodies and adjust their grip to stay balanced.
Using this knowledge, the engineers modified Salto’s design. They added the ability for the robot to adjust its leg force during landing. This helped Salto stick its landings more reliably, even without gripping the branch like a squirrel would.
This research has broader implications for robotics. Yim is now working on designing a similar robot that could explore Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where low gravity would allow it to jump the length of a football field in a single bound.
One-legged robots might seem unstable, but for jumping, they are highly efficient. With just one powerful leg, they can achieve greater heights than robots with multiple legs. Future improvements may include better gripping mechanisms, allowing robots to land on different surfaces, not just branches.
This research is a breakthrough in combining biology and robotics. By studying the movements of animals, scientists can create more capable machines. The work could lead to robots that help with search-and-rescue missions, monitor forests, or even assist in space exploration.
While we might not see squirrel-inspired robots in our backyards just yet, this study brings us one step closer to machines that can move as naturally and effortlessly as the animals around us.
