Progresses of animal robots: A historical review and perspectiveness

Animal robots have remarkable advantages over traditional mechatronic ones in terms of energy supply, self-orientation, and natural concealment and can provide remarkable theoretical and practical values for scientific investigation, community service, military detection and other fields. Given these features, animal robots have become high-profile research objects and have recently attracted extensive attention. Herein, we have defined animal robots, reviewed the main types of animal robots, and discussed the potential developing directions. We have also detailed the mechanisms underlying the regulation of animal robots and introduced key methods for manipulating them. We have further proposed several application prospects for different types of animal robots. Finally, we have presented research directions for their further improvement.