Trident snake robot: locomotion analysis and control

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel kind of wheeled mobile robot, called ”trident snake robot”. From a viewpoint of nonlinear control theory, this robot is classified as a nonholonomic system with two generators and higher order Lie brackets, whose controllability structure is quite complicated (in comparison to chained systems, for example). Based on analysis of the controllability Lie algebra and corresponding holonomy, we clarify the locomotion principle of the robot and realize rotation and translation control using periodic inputs. The proposed method is illustrated by numerical simulations. Copyright c©2004 IFA