Modeling and path-following for a snake robot with active wheels

Abstract

Abstract-Snake robots with active wheels provide interesting opportunities within many areas such as inspection and maintenance and search and rescue operations. The highlyarticulated body of a snake robot combined with the advantages of wheeled locomotion makes it ideal for locomotion in, for example, pipes and other narrow or constricted structures. In this paper we present a mathematical model of the dynamics of a snake robot with active wheels together with a novel path-following approach for such robots. The path-following approach includes both how to find a desired turning angle for the snake robot head given a reference path, together with a module coordination strategy based on a n-trailer kinematic model. The path-following approach is tested and verified by simulations with the dynamic model. In addition, simulations suggest that the proposed approach results in reduced commanded joint and wheels shaft torques and, in most cases, a reduced path-following error compared to an implementation of a follow-the-leader algorithm.

Path following control of planar snake robots using a cascaded approach

“…Theorem 13: Consider a planar snake robot described by the model (17) and suppose that Assumption 9 is satisfied. If the look-ahead distance ∆ of the LOS guidance law (25) is chosen such that…”

“…This gives the system more degrees of freedom and is utilized to follow a trajectory while simultaneously maintaining a high manipulability. Path following of a snake robot with active wheels is considered in [17], but no stability analysis of the controller is presented. The authors have previously employed Poincaré maps to study the stability properties of snake locomotion along a straight path [18].…”

A review on modelling, implementation, and control of snake robots

“…With position and/or heading control [102], [103], [104], [105], [106], [14], [16], [107], [15], [108], [17], [60], [109], [110], [10], [111], [112], [113], [114].…”

“…Active wheels are also assumed in [114], where a path following controller for such snake robots is proposed on a kinematic level.…”

Hypermobile Robots – the Survey

“…Authors have also presented a mathematical model of the dynamics of a serpentine robot with active wheels and the new path-following approach based on control strategies for n-trailer vehicles [42]. The dynamic model is based on a non-minimal set of coordinates which is advantageous for numerical treatment of the system equations during simulations.…”