Stepping motors are not good at stationary power consumption. They use power even with no load on them. Brakes for robot joints are common in industrial robots

Stepping motors are not good at stationary power consumption. They use power even with no load on them. Brakes for robot joints are common in industrial robots. They're usually part of the emergency stop system. If power fails, the controller crashes, or someone pushes the emergency stop button, spring-driven brakes lock all major joints to stop all motion.[1] That might be useful in a quadruped, which can park without active balance. [1] https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/28812-choosing-the-right-brake-for-robotic-applications https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/28812-c...