Analysis of creeping locomotion of a snake-like robot

Abstract Snakes perform many kinds of movement adapted to the environment. Utilizing the snake (its forms and motion) as a model to develop a snake-like robot, that performs the snake's function, is important for generating a new type of locomotion and expanding the possible uses of robots. In this study, we developed a simulator to simulate the creeping locomotion of the snake-like robot, in which the robot dynamics is modeled and the interaction with the environment is considered through Coulomb friction. This simulator makes it possible to analyze creeping locomotion with normaldirection slip, adding to the glide along the tangential direction. Through the developed simulator, we investigate the snake-like robot creeping locomotion which is generated only by swinging each of the joints from side to side and discuss the optimal creeping locomotion of the snake-like robot that is adapted to the environment. Keywords: SNAKESNAKE-LIKE ROBOTCREEPING LOCOMOTIONNORMAL-DIRECTION SLIPENVIRONMENT ADAPTATION