Obstacle-Aided Locomotion of a Snake Robot Using Piecewise Helixes

A non-wheeled snake robot can propel itself by pushing against obstacles. This is called obstacle-aided locomotion. To expand the exploration range of a snake robot using this method, it is preferable to utilize obstacles that are both on the ground and by the side or above. To achieve these goals, we propose an obstacle-aided locomotion using piecewise helixes. This target shape comprises grounding and obstacle-contacting parts. The length and shape of the grounding part can be changed from a straight line to a circular arc. The height of the obstacle-contacting part can be changed or its direction can be reversed. The robot can adapt to various obstacles by appropriately changing its body shape. In addition, we propose a snake robot locomotion in a flat ground using the same shape as that used for obstacle-aided locomotion. This involves a combination of shift control and rolling motion. The robot can move in a straight line in the forward or lateral direction or can turn in a circular arc using the proposed method. Finally, experiments that confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method are presented.