Page 139 - Amphibionics : Build Your Own Biologically Inspired Robot

Amphibionics 05 3/24/03 8:43 AM Page 118
Amphibionics
curve of its body. The same slithering action also works well in the
water. Sidewinders live much of their lives on sand. These snakes
have developed a sideways movement because the sand slips
away under them if they try to slither. A sidewinder throws a loop
of its body forward. It then shifts its weight, raises its head and
tail, and catches up to itself. Snakes move relatively slowly, and
could not keep up with a person walking at a normal pace, which
is about 4 miles per hour. The scales on a snake’s body give them
better traction as they slide along. They use rippling muscles in
their bellies to shift their wide scales on edge. The edges catch on
the ground and allow the snake to pull itself along.

The snake and its method of locomotion are the inspiration for the
robot in this chapter. Figure 5.1 shows a typical snake (Northern
Death Adder), along with its biologically inspired robotic counter-
part. The robot snake measures 28 inches in length, from head to
tail, and is 2-1/2 inches wide. Figure 5.2 illustrates the size of the
snake relative to a human.

FIGURE 5.1
A snake and its
biologically inspired
robotic counterpart.

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