Decentralized control of scaffold-assisted serpentine locomotion that exploits body softness

Snakes actively utilize irregularities in terrains and attain propulsion force by pushing their bodies against scaffolds. The objective of this study is to understand the mechanism underlying such functionalities of snakes on the basis of a synthetic approach. We construct a model of a serpentine robot with viscoelastic properties, and we design an autonomous decentralized control scheme that employs local sensory feedback based on the muscle length and strain of the body, the latter of which is generated by the body softness. Simulation results show that the robot exhibits locomotion effectively by utilizing scaffolds such as high-friction areas and pegs, which is in fairly good agreement with biological findings.