Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2000 · 15 citations · 0 references
EngineeringMechanical EngineeringRobotics EngineeringMotion PlanningPath PlanningRoboticsMobile Robot KinematicsMobile Robot LocomotionObstacle AvoidanceRescue RoboticsRobot Motion PlanningRobot NavigationFlexibilityLegged Mobile RobotsMotion Planning For ManipulatorsRobot Path PlanningRobotic LocomotionRobotic Path PlanningSafe Motion PlanningTrajectory Planning
Serpentine robots offer advances over traditional mobile robots and robot arms because they have enhanced flexibility and reachability, especially in convoluted environments. These mechanisms are especially well suited for search and rescue operations where making contact with surviving victims trapped in a collapsed building is essential. The same flexibility that makes serpentine robots incredibly useful also makes them difficult to design and control. This paper will describe the current status of serpentine robot design and path planning underway in our research group and point towards future directions of research.