Design and motion planning of a mechanical snake

The paper presents the design and motion planning for a mechanical snake robot that was built at the University of Michigan. The structure of the robot enables it to move without wheels. It is constructed of a series of articulated links, each one with a motor and linear solenoid. Although each link has only one motor, this structure allows the body configuration to be easily controlled thereby enabling the robot to move in very cluttered environments. The motion planning system provides the robot with a basic motion pattern that can be easily modified for different tasks and environments. The mechanical snake does not avoid obstacles on its way, but rather “accommodates” them by continuing its motion towards the target while in contact with the obstacles. With our design and motion planning, each link has a different number of degrees-of-freedom in each motion stage, providing the robot with great adaptability even during contact with obstacles in a cluttered environment.