Optimal static propulsive force for obstacle-aided locomotion in snake robots

This paper presents a novel approach to obstacle-aided locomotion - pushing against obstacles in the environment to achieve propulsion - of snake robots. These machines are robots designed to mimic the propulsive behavior of biological snakes, and in nature obstacle-aided locomotion is the main means of propulsion for serpents. The solution presented in this paper is based on a static analysis of a snake robot in contact with a certain number of known obstacles. Given a set of external contact points and a desired total propulsive force, we show which motor torques are necessary to achieve this. The problem typically presents an infinite number of solutions, and is therefore solved by minimizing the consumed energy (using motor torque as a proxy). The results are verified with a digital computer.