Cheetah

The cheetah is the fastest terrestrial animal achieving top speeds of 29 m/s. Researchers have analyzed their hunting behavior in the wild and attributed their hunting success to their ability to change direction and decelerate rapidly. The tails play a crucial role in the maneuverability in running cheetahs using inertial and aerodynamic effects to counter the unwanted rotation it induces. Using two approaches, motion capture of the animal, and robotic imitation, the role of the cheetah’s tail in its maneuverability was studied (Fig. f).