Experimental studies of serpentine motion control of snake robots at inclined planes

Abstract

The modelling and control problem for the serpentine motion of a planar snake-robot moving at inclined planes is the subject of this article. The effects of the gravity-induced terms, compared to the tangential and normal friction forces, compared to the snake's dynamics is presented. During the snake's controlled motion using a trajectory characterized by its curvature and heading, these terms have a detrimental effect on the system's stability. Experimental studies with a prototype eight DoF planar snake are offered to investigate this issue.