Development of peristaltic crawling robot which imitates muscle structure of an earthworm

Abstract

In disaster areas, rescue work by humans is extremely difficult and dangerous. Therefore, rescue work using rescue robots in place of humans is attracting attention. This study specifically examines peristaltic crawling, the movement technique used by earthworms, because it can enable movement through narrow spaces and because it can provide stable movement even in various difficult environments. Moreover, we designed each part of the robot based on required specifications and developed a real robot. We present results of motion experiments conducted with robot movement on level ground.