Following an ancient path
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Robot re-creates a tetrapod's moves."
Educator Guide: Robot Re-creates a Tetrapod’s Moves
Researchers designed a robot called OroBOT to re-create and analyze different gaits that Orobates pabsti, a four-legged creature that lived about 290 million years ago, might have used.
TOMISLAV HORVAT AND K. MELO/EPFL LAUSANNE
About this guide
Scientists used a variety of techniques to figure out how a four-legged animal walked nearly 300 million years ago. Use this guide to introduce students to the ancient tetrapod Orobates pabsti and the evidence it left behind. Students will learn how scientists combine approaches from scientific fields — including biology, physics, robotics and computer science — to study ancient locomotion. Students will also apply their knowledge of experimental design, human biology and physics to investigate classmates’ locomotion.
This Guide Includes:
Step into the shoes of a scientist studying ancient locomotion
These discussion prompts encourage students to apply their knowledge of experimental design.
Tracing tracks and guessing gaits
Students will use what they know about physics and human range of motion to analyze classmates’ trackways and infer how their classmates made the tracks.