Explore the biomechanics of complex animal robots to understand how real animals work. Machinery in the robot animals simulates the body parts of their real-life counterparts, using pistons to represent muscles and pipes as intestines. Throughout the exhibit, colorful wall-mounted panels present a glossary of robot parts. A robot giraffe welcomes visitors to The Robot Zoo . A large piston holding the neck onto the shoulder copies the real animal's powerful neck muscle.
Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth.
A giraffe's neck has seven bones, as many as a human's but each bone is a foot long. The whole animal is flexible enough for a giraffe to scratch its back with its nose. Giraffes roam the savannas of Africa in loose, open herds of females and youngsters. A giraffe uses its 18-inch tongue to pluck leaves from between thorns of acacia trees. The robot platypus forages for food under the water alongside a riverbank.