Towards autonomous locomotion: Slithering gait design of a snake-like robot for target observation and tracking

In this paper, a biologically inspired 3D slithering gait for a snake-like robot is designed and implemented for the purpose of target tracking. First, by balancing the forward speed and the stability of the robot, a straight slithering gait is modelled, under which the robot can march straight, fast, and stably. Then, for the purpose of steering, the straight slithering gait is modified into a biased slithering gait. The relationship between turning radius and gait parameters is analyzed by the resistive force theory. With the head composition algorithm, we investigate the orientation problem of the snake robot's head module to obtain stable visual information during the locomotion process. Finally, with the guidance of the vision sensor mounted in the head module, target tracking simulations and prototype experiments are conducted to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the slithering gait in autonomous locomotion scenarios.