Adaptive snake robot locomotion: A benchmarking facility for experiments

Abstract

A benchmarking facility for snake robot locomotion is presented, including the design of a snake-like robot extended with a sensor setup combining three-dimensional vision and an array of force sensors to register friction and impulse forces. A surrounding, modular environment consisting of a reconfigurable obstacle course and a ceiling mounted camera system is also presented. This enables research into adaptive obstacle-based and non-obstacle-based movement patterns for robotic snakes. Experimental results show possibilities for detailed data analysis of snake robot locomotion. Thus, the facility may be a common reference on which to experiment and evaluate future ideas. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.