Development of a mobile robot mimicking the frilled lizard

Abstract

Here a prototype biomimetic robot is presented that imitates the shape and motion of a frilled lizard. The robot’s upper body posture can be controlled using the air resistance generated by the frill around the neck during running. Several experiments were conducted to determine the range of motion of the robot. A fan experiment showed that the robot could adjust the angle of the upper body at intervals of at least 5° to 10° up to 35°. The robot was able to control the angle of its upper body to an accuracy of about 1° while running. Thus, the robot controlled its upper body angle using the membrane around its neck. This is the first robot to use air to control the upper body posture.