An amphibious robot capable of snake and lamprey-like locomotion

Abstract

This article presents a project that aims at constructing a biologically inspired amphibious snake-like robot. The robot is designed to be capable of anguilliform swimming like the lamprey in water and serpentine locomotion like a snake on ground. Both the structure and the controller of the robot are inspired by elongate vertebrates. In particular, the locomotion of the robot is controlled by a central pattern generator (a system of coupled oscillators) that produces travelling waves of oscillations as limit cycle behavior. We present the design considerations behind the robot and its controller. Preliminary results in simulation and with the first elements that compose the real robot are presented.