Simple Reactive Head Motion Control Enhances Adaptability to Rough Terrain in Centipede Walking

Abstract

Multi-legged animals such as myriapods exhibit highly adaptive and effective locomotion on rough terrain. They achieve this locomotor performance by coordinating their flexible bodies and legs in response to the environmental situation. To capture the essential motor control mechanisms in centipedes, we have constructed mathematical models based on behavioral findings. Although our latest model succeeded in producing adaptive centipede walking on irregular terrain, the simulated centipede sometimes became stuck because of head collision with an obstacle in front. To overcome this limitation, in this paper, we added a simple reactive head motion control in which a few anterior body segments actively bend to keep the head section from becoming stuck. Through simulation experiment, we verified that the proposed head motion control improves the centipede-like robot’s ability to traverse rough terrain with many gaps.