Robot baby penguin penetrates emperor colony
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028401
Los Angeles Times : Although humans have been studying penguins for some time, any interaction with the animals has been shown to cause them stress, resulting in faster heart rates, attempts to escape, and interference with their mating and breeding. So to get a closer look with minimal disruption, a team of researchers at the University of Strasbourg in France decided to try using a small, four-wheeled rover dressed up to look like a fluffy penguin chick. When the rover was tested on a colony of emperor penguins within Adélie Land, it was not only accepted into the colony but was also allowed to huddle with a “crèche” of chicks. The results were promising enough that similar robots may be designed to investigate other kinds of animals, including those that swim or fly.
