Snake robot obstacle aided locomotion: An experimental validation of a non-smooth modeling approach

The paper considers the problem of obstacle aided locomotion for snake robots, as taking advantage of obstacles for locomotion is an enabling technique for snake robots to enter challenging environments like earthquaked areas and mines for search and rescue missions. To this end, the paper presents a novel non-smooth (hybrid) 2D mathematical model for snake robots which incorporates that the snake robot can come in contact with external obstacles apart from flat ground. The mathematical model is verified through a back-to-back comparison between numerical simulations and experimental results. It is furthermore shown that the snake robot is able to move forward faster and more robustly by exploiting obstacles, and that the locomotion in this case is not as dependent on the ground surface.