Squirrel
Robotics specialists at the University of California at Berkeley are exploring the possibility of creating a robot for the US Army, the prototype of which will be an ordinary squirrel.
As you know, squirrels and foxes have the ability to make fantastic jumps in pursuit of prey. Alas, but most of the current robots cannot boast of this. A whole family of UAVs has appeared in the arsenal of the US Army in recent years: in particular, the MQ-1 Predator attack drone and the MQ-4 Global Hawk transport. The development of ground-based drones is also continuing, which have to operate in much more difficult conditions than their flying counterparts. For example, ground robots have big problems when overcoming rubble from rocks or deep trenches. In search of living prototypes capable of performing such tasks, scientists "came out" on geckos and cockroaches. However, now we are talking about the ability of new robots to make instant decisions and perform maneuvers in a fraction of a second.
Squirrels
It is these abilities that proteins possess. For example, to get the coveted nut, they have to make dizzying jumps. Yes, they don't always plan it perfectly – but they never fall. Even if it fails, the squirrel will use its sharp claws to cling to the trunk of a tree. Scientists are considering the possibility of using future "jumping" robots in search and rescue operations in areas of natural disasters and on the battlefield in a difficult situation.