Despite their inability to take to the skies, birds like ostriches, emus, and chickens use their wings--they're actually vital to their everyday movements. And unlike existing biomimetic robots that take their cues from high-flying birds, researchers at China's Shandong University recently built a new, strutting machine inspired by terrestrial avians. "[H]umans swing their arms to counteract the angular momentum generated by their legs during high-speed movements, such as sprinting," engineer Xianwu Zeng explained to TechXplore. "Similarly, ostriches and roadrunners use their wings for flight but flap them during rapid running, jumping, or sharp turns, where the wings serve as auxiliary mechanisms." With these biological influences in mind, Zeng and colleagues have designed KOU-III.