Teaching Overview
Learning Points
- Engineers at Northwestern University have used AI to help design and test robots called “legged metamachines.”
- Each metamachine module can move on its own or be combined with other modules in different configurations.
- The team hopes this work will lead to more useful robots in future and encourage other engineers to think creatively about robot movement.
Curriculum Keywords
- robots
- AI
- engineering
Spark a Discussion
- What are humanoid robots?
- What is different about the “legged metamachines” designed by the team at Northwestern University?
- How was AI used to help design the legged metamachines?
More From Twig Science Reporter
Watch This Episode in Spanish
Use this version of the episode in Spanish to support the teaching of bilingual classes.
Credits
- "Evolved robots are born to run, refuse to die." Northwestern University. Courtesy of Sam Kriegman.
- C. Yu et al. Agile legged locomotion in reconfigurable modular robots, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 123 (10) e2519129123, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2519129123 (2026).
Discover More About Topics Covered in This Week's Episode
Classroom Resources
Use these resources to get the most out of the episode and engage your class in topical science!
Video Viewing Guide
This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the episode.
Access the GuideMake Your Own Science Episode
This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science episodes.
Access the GuideLanguage and Literacy Activities
This guide gives you ideas for how the episode can be used to support language and literacy activities.
Access the GuideTwig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS
Immersive Investigations With High-Quality Multimedia
- Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
- Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
- Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning
