There are plenty of robots with nature-inspired gaits. That’s not always the most efficient way to move though. EPFL researchers have discovered a faster, efficient gait not observed in nature for six-legged robots on flat grounds.
As this video explains, bio-inspired gaits can be less efficient for robots as real inspects have adhesive pads to walk in 3 dimensions:
The researchers found that the common insect tripod gait did emerge when they optimized their insect model to climb vertical surfaces with adhesion on the tips of its legs. By contrast, simulations of ground-walking without the adhesiveness of insects’ legs revealed that bipod gaits, where only two legs are on the ground at any given time, are faster and more efficient.
Pretty fascinating, don’t you think? More info is available here.
