Snake robot with driving assistant mechanism

Abstract

Snake robots are composed of multiple links and joints and have a high degree of freedom. They can perform various motions and can overcome various terrains. Snake robots need additional driving algorithms and sensors that acquire terrain data in order to overcome rough terrains such as grasslands and slopes. In this study, we propose a driving assistant mechanism (DAM), which assists locomotion without additional driving algorithms and sensors. In this paper, we confirmed that the DAM prevents a roll down on a slope and increases the locomotion speed through dynamic simulation and experiments. It was possible to overcome grasslands and a 27 degrees slope without using additional driving controllers. In conclusion, we expect that a snake robot can conduct a wide range of missions well, such as exploring disaster sites and rough terrain, by using the proposed mechanism.