# Episode 140: Robot balance and agility - Amir Patel

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2026-01-16
- Length: 21m
- Episode: 140
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel

## Summary

Amir Patel, an Associate Professor at University College London, discusses his research into bio-inspired robotics, specifically how studying cheetah locomotion informs the design of agile robots. He explains the discovery that cheetah tails function primarily through aerodynamic forces rather than inertial mass, leading to new robot tail designs. Patel also details his work in applying robotics techniques like sensor fusion and computer vision to monitor wildlife health and movement in the field.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=7) Introduction: Amir Patel and Bio-inspired Robotics
- [2:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=166) Using Robotics to Study Animal Locomotion
- [5:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=341) Fieldwork and Data Collection in South Africa
- [7:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=441) The Cheetah Tail: Aerodynamic vs. Inertial
- [12:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=779) Soft Actuators and Future Agility
- [17:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel#t=1048) Wild Pose and Wildlife Monitoring

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- University College London (company)
- University of Cape Town (company)
- Cheetah Outreach (company)
- South African National Parks (company)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- Max Planck (company)
- Wild Pose (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [49. What Robots Can Learn from Starfish and Falcons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-12-21-49-what-robots-can-learn-from-starfish-and-falcons) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [133. Mighty Morphing All Terrain Robots Made By Nature](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-08-01-133-mighty-morphing-all-terrain-robots-made-by-nature) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Ep037: 2 Flavors of Robot Dog, Fitness Tracker Hacks, Clocks Wind Themselves, Helicopter Chainsaws](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-09-27-ep037-2-flavors-of-robot-dog-fitness-tracker-hacks-clocks-wind-themselves-helico) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [68. Bird-inspired Bipedal Robots & Robotic Surgeons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-05-03-68-bird-inspired-bipedal-robots-robotic-surgeons) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [35. The Feisty Crustacean That Inspired A New Generation of Super Robots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-09-14-35-the-feisty-crustacean-that-inspired-a-new-generation-of-super-robots) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-01-16-episode-140-robot-balance-and-agility-amir-patel. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Robot Talk.