Cat spine inspires robot righting

A specific spinal arrangement — a flexible thoracic region paired with a stiffer lumbar segment — produces a sequential twisting motion that allows cats to reorient midair without pushing off anything. Engineers can mimic that asymmetry in robot chassis or articulated drones to achieve passive or low‑energy midair righting maneuvers. — If translated into robotics, this insight could change design norms for small aerial or fall‑tolerant robots and raises questions about animal use in basic biomechanics research.