Small, light, and quick, the cheetah-cub robot is a robust little experiment in robotics and biomechanics from EPFL, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, one of two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology. From actu.epfl.ch: 

Even though it doesn’t have a head, you can still tell what kind of animal it is: the robot is definitely modeled upon a cat… The purpose of the platform is to encourage research in biomechanics; its particularity is the design of its legs, which make it very fast and stable… 

The number of segments – three on each leg – and their proportions are the same as they are on a cat. Springs are used to reproduce tendons, and actuators – small motors that convert energy into movement – are used to replace the muscles.

In the future, the stability and speed of this robot could be key attributes for finding people in search and rescue missions or for exploration of rough terrain.

There are more robots being more than just robots in the archives.

Thanks, @cosentino.

This is Zabu. She’s a White Tiger that lives at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, and she likes to play with her big red ball (and lions).

Related watching: Big Cats + Mirrors.

via Laughing Squid.

From 0 to 75mph in just three seconds — in just three strides, it’s faster than most of the world’s fastest super cars — the Smithsonian Channel describes the biomechanics behind why the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal.

Follow this video up with this singular slow motion video of a cheetah running.

via Viral Viral Videos.

Cheetahs on the Edge—Director’s Cut from Gregory Wilson, who was a part of the team who captured these stunning slow motion shots of cheetahs running: 

Cheetahs are the fastest runners on the planet. Combining the resources of National Geographic and the Cincinnati Zoo, and drawing on the skills of an incredible crew, we documented these amazing cats in a way that’s never been done before.

Using a Phantom camera filming at 1200 frames per second while zooming beside a sprinting cheetah, the team captured every nuance of the cat’s movement as it reached top speeds of 60+ miles per hour.

The extraordinary footage that follows is a compilation of multiple runs by five cheetahs during three days of filming.

For more information about cheetah conservation, visit causeanuproar.com/

Two (of many) mesmerizing things about this video: the steadiness of the cheetahs’ heads and the amount of time their back legs seem to not touch the ground.

More about how the cheetah’s speed has ”achieved nature’s optimal balance of size, running ability and weight” at It’s Okay to Be Smart.

Sounds and sights that stir feelings and memories: The pleasure of by Vitùc.

via This Is Colossal.