K. Classens, M. J. Koopaee, C. Pretty, S. Weiland, and X. Chen,
Proceedings of the IFAC 21st Triennial World Congress, Berlin, Germany, 2020.
Abstract:
A model-based optimal gait is obtained for the 2-D locomotion of a modular snake robot in a duct. Optimality is considered in the sense of traveling as fast as possible or traveling with minimal energy consumption. The novelty of the work lies in the development of a framework to cast the full dynamic behavior, including contact constraints with simple objects, into an optimization problem which allows for gait parameter, control parameter and/or physical parameter optimization. Optimal gait and control parameters are found via a surrogate optimization procedure which reveals optimal locomotion strategies depending on the duct width and optimization criteria. The framework is tested and illustrated with a number of optimizations of 2-D locomotion of a snake robot where either traveling time or energy consumption is minimized.
Available online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2020.12.2648 [pdf]