Search-and-rescue robot mimics movement of snakes

‘By using their scales to control frictional properties, snakes are able to move large distances while exerting very little energy,’ said Hamid Marvi, a mechanical engineering PhD candidate at Georgia Tech.

While studying and videotaping the movements of 20 different species at Zoo Atlanta, Marvi developed Scalybot 2, a robot that is claimed to replicate the rectilinear locomotion of snakes.

In a statement, Marvi said: ‘During rectilinear locomotion, a snake doesn’t have to bend its body laterally to move.

‘Snakes lift their ventral scales and pull themselves forward by sending a muscular travelling wave from head to tail.

‘Rectilinear locomotion is very efficient and especially useful for crawling within crevices — an invaluable benefit for search-and-rescue robots.’

According to Georgia Tech, Scalybot 2 can automatically change the angle of its scales when it encounters different terrains and slopes. This adjustment allows the robot to either fight or generate friction.

The two-link robot is controlled by a remote-controlled joystick and can move forwards and backwards using four motors.