抄録
A snake is an amazing animal considering that it can make various motions using only its slender body. Many researches on snake-like robots have focused on ground movement. However, aquatic animals such as sea snakes and eels also move in a meandering motion. Considering these facts, the authors decided to develop an autonomous underwater snake-like robot. As an approach to this goal, a sea snake robot was made to examine the basic characteristics of propulsion. In the experiments, three axial force gauges and two cameras at different angles were set on the robot’s head. The frequency, amplitude, and phase difference which constitute the elements of meandering motion were varied, and the movement and forces acting on the robot were measured for both in-water and in-air operation. From the results of experiments, the characteristics of the propulsion force of snake motion water were discussed.
