Snake Robot for Sidewinding Movement

Abstract

Snake-like robots are highly adaptable to environments that are difficult to navigate with feet or crawlers. Most snake-like robots perform "serpentine locomotion," in which they move by twisting their bodies from side to side. This method enables them to move over bumps and narrow gaps, but has the disadvantage of being difficult to move on sandy or snowy ground. In this paper, we focus on the sidewinding propulsion method, which can propel the robot even in unstable and slippery environments, and propose a moving mechanism for it. In this study, we reproduced the movement of sidewinding propulsion while saving the degree of freedom by lifting the body in accordance with the degree of freedom of bending using non-circular gears at the joints.