I think a lot of the compensation comes from slower speed and lower-complexity movements. It's absolutely the case that a cheetah uses it's tail when making tu

I think a lot of the compensation comes from slower speed and lower-complexity movements. It's absolutely the case that a cheetah uses it's tail when making turns at high velocity, but it's also true that a robot can ovoid the need for a tail by turning slowly and not having any lateral g-forces to contend with. Off topic, but this has always astounded me - the cheetah's tail was the inspiration Kobe Bryant used for fixing his form on his fade-away jumper; one of his legs is always stuck out in a seemingly awkward manner but he's using it to balance his body as he falls away from the basket.