Sandy Slope-Climbing Snakebot Inspired by Sidewinders

Oct-10-14 Taking inspiration from the sidewinder, researchers have developed a snake-like robot able to climb sandy hills more effectively.

To design the robot, researchers analyzed the movements of sidewinder snakes—known for their ability to move quickly through sand—as they climbed a sandy hill. By studying videos of the snakes in action, the team learned that sidewinders move their bodies in two different waves that can be controlled independently. By changing the aspect ratio of the waves, the snake can control how much of its body is in contact with the sand, with steeper slopes requiring more contact.

Based on their discovery, the team was able to program their snake robot and enable it to climb slopes that had not been possible for it before. The key, according to Carnegie Mellon professor of robotics, Howie Choset, was looking more closely at the sidewinder's behavior. "In this study, we got biology and robotics, mediated by physics, to work together in a way not previously seen."

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[CMU.EDU]

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