These bugs might solve the problem of robots that fall and can't get up

When a robot falls over, it usually can't get up -- at least not without difficulty. To address the trouble of downed robots, scientists are taking a cue from the natural world, examining how click beetles right themselves after taking a tumble.

Researchers at The University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign found that the insects often topple over, but have a natural self-righting mechanism that robots could emulate. The team published their research online on Monday and also presented their findings at Living Machines 2017: The 6th International Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems at Stanford University.

While investigating how click beetles fling themselves into the air without the use of any legs, the team stumbled upon a hinge-like feature that lies inside the deep segment on the critter's back. This hinge allows the beetle to flex its head back towards the ground, and then abruptly release, shooting the bug into the air. (In case you were wondering why they're called click beetles, the release of their hinge makes a "clicking" sound.)

The discovery of this snapping hinge gave researchers a dose of bioinspiration — when biological evolution inspires technological innovation.

“Very little research had been performed on these beetles, and I thought this legless jumping mechanism would be a perfect candidate for further exploration in the field of bioinspiration,” said study co-author and entomologist Marianne Alleyne, in a statement.

The team experimented with different types and sizes of click beetles, filming the leaping beetles with with high-speed cameras to capture their take-off angles and velocities.

“We observe, model, and validate each stage of the jump with the hopes that we can later integrate them into a self-righting robot," explained the study's lead investigator and mechanical engineering professor Aimy Wissa, in a statement.

It may be some time before awkwardly wheeling robots become adept at locomotion, so the simple ability to get up — or rather jump up — might become a great boon to the robotics world.