Serpentine locomotion of a snake-like robot controlled by cyclic inhibitory CPG model

Abstract

Based on the structure of both biological snakes and snake-like robots and their rhythm locomotion, the theory of the cyclic inhibitory CPG is adopted as a control method to construct a neuron network model of the snake-like robot. The relation between the CPG parameters and the serpentine locomotion of the snake-like robot is defined in this paper. The validity of the serpentine locomotion controlled by the CPG model is verified through a snake-like robot model. The modulating methods of the CPG parameters are brought forward and simulated to realize the required turn motion and the reconfiguration. Moreover, we present that real snake-like robot can successfully exhibit serpentine locomotion by using controller output of the proposed architecture. Finally, the aspects of future researches are discussed.