Gait kinematics for a serpentine robot

Abstract

This paper considers the problem of serpentine, or snake-like, locomotion from the perspective of geometric mechanics. A particular model based on Hirose's active cord mechanism is analyzed. Using the kinematic constraints, we develop a connection, which describes the net motion of the machine as a function of variations in the mechanism's shape variables. We present simulation results demonstrating three types of locomotive gaits, one of which bears an obvious resemblance to the serpentine motion of a snake. We also discuss how these algorithms can be used to optimize certain inputs given the particular choice of physical parameters for a snake robot.