Abstract
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017. In this paper, we present a prototype of a 3D printed snake-like robot for search and rescue applications, inspired by biological snake anatomy and locomotion. Unlike traditional robotics, this design takes advantage of soft materials to create a robot that is resilient to shock impacts, such as from falling debris or unsound flooring, and that can very its stiffness. The robot uses a flexible spine to connect multiple sections, allowing controlled actuation while providing a sturdy structure. Variable stiffness actuation is implemented through the use of elastic materials to act as tendons for the body, in an agonist-antagonist setup. Actuation occurs through the use of Robotis Dynamixel AX-12A servos, controlled by a Trossen Robotics Arbotix-M Robocon-troller. The design features a head, containing a Raspberry Pi 3 and a Pi Camera Module. This added embedded computation can connect to a remote PC via wireless communication, allowing an operator to control the robot. This paper discusses the design and early stage testing for the prototype, and shows that robots based on soft 3D printed materials and mechanisms are viable, and effective.
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-64107-2_29
Publication Date
2017-07-20
Publication Title
Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume
10454 LNAI
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
ISBN
9783319641065
ISSN
1611-3349
Embargo Period
2024-11-22
First Page
363
Last Page
377
Recommended Citation
Sheard, J., Draper, R., Troughton, M., & Stoelen, M. (2017) 'Soft robotic snake with variable stiffness actuation', Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 10454 LNAI, pp. 363-377. Springer International Publishing: Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64107-2_29
