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A comparison of Festo's robo kangaroo and the real thing. Festo

Festo, an industrial automation company based in Germany, has developed a robotic kangaroo that hops and moves like the real animal. It took two years to develop and it could help develop a keener understanding of energy and movement technologies.

The robot kangaroo is 3.3 feet tall, can jump 31 inches, and weighs just over 14 pounds. The way it is able to jump is through elastic springs in each leg, which are able to store energy on landing, acting like a tendon in a kangaroo’s leg.

It is controlled by an arm band, and can be called by arm gestures. Using nature as inspiration, the innovative company hopes to improve movement technologies, like moving and controlling things in factories. But this robotic kangaroo is yet to have a direct commercial purpose.

This is not the first time science has looked to nature to make our lives easier. In February of this year Harvard engineers developed robots that mimic termites. Their goal was replicate the way in which the sophisticated insects work to build together.

Festo as a company has become famous for their robots which are inspired by nature. In the past they have been able to build a flying smart bird and a swimming penguin. The real question is, what will they build next?

Germany Robotics Energy