Steering Through Waters: Exploring Turning Control Techniques for Soft Underwater Snake Robots

Abstract

Taking inspiration from the two turning mechanisms exhibited by biological snakes, this paper presents two turning methods for soft underwater snake robots: head steering and unbalanced gait steering. The structural design, driving principles, and turning motion model of the proposed snake are introduced. Through experimental validations under the same conditions, the results demonstrate the turning feasibility of two steering methods in underwater snake robots, revealing superior turning capabilities of head steering compared to unbalanced gait steering utilized by conventional ground-based snake robots. This paper pioneers head-turning investigation in underwater snake robots and offers insights for future applications involving the agile maneuvering of underwater robots in aquatic environments.