Assisted autonomy of articulated snake robots

Our lab has developed new capabilities for snake robots that allow them to successfully navigate networks of pipes. Recent developments in the control and state estimation of snake robots have enabled these capabilities. The development of a gait-based compliant controller enables us to develop more complex motions while at the same time simplifying the controls for the operator. Additionally, new state estimation techniques that exploit the robot's redundant sensing allow accurate estimation of the robot's orientation and kinematic configuration, even when significant amounts of sensor feedback is missing or corrupted.