First animals to set foot on land used TAILS to 'walk': Robot recreates strange waddle of mudskipper fish 360 million years ago

early land animals crawled to through the mud and sand to make their first ‘steps’ on earth there are 360 ​​million years.

Now, scientists believe that the powerful tails as they used fish were larger than previously thought.

They came to this conclusion by studying African mudskipper fish and building a robot on the animal model.

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scientists believe the powerful tails early land mammals used as fish were larger than previously thought. They arrived at this conclusion by studying African mudskipper fish and building a robot on the animal model (photo)

RESULTS IN BRIEF

scientists believe that the ancient creatures used the powerful tails they relied on the fish to crawl through the mud and sand as they traveled on the earth, there are some 360 ​​million years

They came to this conclusion by studying African mudskipper fish and a robot on the animal model.

team found the two mudskippers and the robot moved by lifting to reduce drag on their bodies, and both needed a kick tail for mount sandy slopes 20 degrees.

using their “wings” alone, both have struggled to climb slopes and often slid back if they don ‘t use their tails.

early land animals likely did not have precise control over their limbs and tail may have compensated for this limitation by helping animals go up the sandy slopes.

They believe the discovery could help create the next generation of amphibious robots.

ancient animal similar to mudskipper would have used modified fins to move on flat surfaces.

based on the fossil record, the new study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Clemson University and Carnegie Mellon University found suggest they tails may have helped to complement the work of the fins, especially on granular inclined surfaces such as beaches and mudflats.

“because of the focus on the members, the role of the tail may not have been considered strongly in the past,” said Richard Blob, former prominent professor of biological sciences at Clemson University.

“in a way, he was hiding in plain sight. Some of the features that animals used were new, such as members, but some of them were existing functionality that they simply co-opted to allow them to move into a new home.

his team recorded how mudskippers (Periopthalmus barbaratus) moved on a variety of free surfaces, collecting data and video.

The little fish who uses her front flippers and tail to move on land, lives in tidal areas near the shore, spend time in the water and on sandy and muddy surfaces.

Georgia Tech undergraduate Benjamin McInroe analyzed Mudskipper of data and used it to make a robot model known as MuddyBot which has two branches and a powerful tail, powered by electric motors.

The team recorded how mudskippers (Periopthalmus barbaratus) moved on a loose surface variety, collection of data and video. The little fish who uses her front flippers and tail to move on earth, living in tidal areas near the shore, spend time in the water and on sandy and muddy surfaces

Georgia Tech undergraduate Benjamin McInroe Mudskipper analyzed the data and used it to make a robot model called MuddyBot which has two branches and a powerful tail, powered by electric motors

on the basis of fossil record, the new study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of technology, Clemson University and Carnegie Mellon University found suggests their tails may have helped to complement the work of the fins, especially on surfaces inclined granular such as beaches and mudflats

ROBOTS PREDATOR INTELLIGENT

in separate research, scientists a robot learned how to hunt and kill prey in a new cooling experience.

The predator robot inspired by animals in nature.

The most sophisticated piece of technology is a “silicon retina” that mimics the way a function of the eye and processes visual data faster than a camera normal

a slow camera typical setting would allow the robot to take pictures to focus on its objective -. but the trajectory of the movement seems disjointed.

But sending process pixel silicon retina streaming a live feed of what is in the environment of the robot.

data is processed by the AI ​​function of the robot -. deep learning neural network will learn from his experience in a similar way to a toddler

It uses laser beams to detect another robot or a person. If it can not locate all he knows to walk around and look for prey.

This means that the killer robot will get better at tracking its prey more it is in nature.

Currently, the robot moves at about 6 mph, but that the rate could increase to 37 mph if it was built to be the size of a car, the researchers said .

Carnegie Mellon researchers then used the information from the records of Mudskipper and future robot with a mathematical model.

Mr. McInroe, who is now a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, explained: “the fish provided a morphological model, these early functional. walkers

“with the robot, we can simplify the complexity of mudskipper and varying parameters, the physical mechanisms of what was happening.

‘with the mathematical model and simulations, we were able to understand the physics behind this was being

Howie Choset, professor at Institute for robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, said. “Our computer modeling tools allow us to visualize and thus better understand how mudskipper incorporates its tail and flippers movements locomote

Dan Goldman, associate professor in the physics of Georgia Technical school explained: “. We found that not only mudskippers use their membership to propel themselves in a kind of crutching movement on the sand hills sand, but when things are racy if they used their concert tails with propulsion members to climb a slope.

in fact, both mudskippers and the robot moved, rising to reduce drag on their bodies, and both needed a kick in the tail for mounting sandy slopes 20 degrees.

With their ‘fins’ only, both struggling to climb slopes and often slid back if they use their tails, the team said .

results, published in the journal Science, could help designers create amphibious robots able to move on granular surfaces such as sand more efficiently and with less risk of ending up in the mud

early land animals likely didn ‘t have precise control over their limbs and tail may have offset this limitation, helping animals ascend the sandy slopes.

The results of the study, published in the journal Science, could help designers create amphibious robots able to move on granular surfaces like sand more efficiently and with less risk of ending up in the mud.

It could also provide new insights on how vertebrates made the transition from water to land.

“We want to finally know how natural selection may act to modify the structures already present in organisms to allow the locomotion in a fundamentally different environment, Professor Goldman said.

‘swimming and walking on earth are fundamentally different, but these early animals had to make the transition.

both mudskippers and moved robot when lifting to reduce drag on their bodies, and both needed a kick their tails to mount sandy slopes 20 degrees. Using their “wings” alone, both have struggled to climb slopes and often slid back if they use their tails, the team said

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First animals to set foot on land used TAILS to 'walk': Robot recreates strange waddle of mudskipper fish 360 million years ago