ME512: Mobile Robotics

Locomotion

Atul Thakur
Mechanical Engineering Department
IIT Patna
 Worm Locomotion (Crawling)
 Worms use crawl based locomotion
 Two anchor crawling
 Peristalsis
 Strain in longitudinal muscles is antagonistic to strain in radial direction

V  r l 2 Assume worm having tubular structure

V is volume
r is radius
l is length
dr r
 
dl 2l
 Two Anchor Crawling
 Frictional anisotropy is used by organism to move forward
 Friction in forward direction is less than friction in backward direction
 Anchorage required to prevent backward sliding is provided by bristles known as
chaetae
 Suckers at the ends of body attach alternately to the substrate
 With posterior sucker attached, body extended to push anterior end
forward

Example: Leech performing

two anchor crawl
youtube
Caterpillar – Three Anchor Crawling
 True legs : body segment 1-3
 Prolegs on segment 6-9
 Clasper on segment 13

Forward Retreat Backward roll

Principles of Animal Locomotion, Alexander R. M.

 Peristalsis
 Successive segments lengthen and shorten
 Each segment changes length after the one in
front
 Waves of lengthening and shortening travel
backward
 Each segment remain stationary while it is short
 Moves forward while it is long
Robots Inspired by Worm Locomotion
 Peristalsis (Onal et al. 2013)
 To achieve frictional anisotropy a
mechanism with two passive feet on both
ends of the robot is made
 Feet made of two rectangular flaps
protruding from the body on the same
crease pattern
 Flaps semifolded parallel to each other at
45◦
 Each flap holds position for backward
motion by anchoring itself to small
asperities on the ground, while sliding
with little resistance for forward motion.
 Shape memory alloy is used for actuation
(more details later in the course)
Earthworm Inspired Robots
Caterpillar Inspired Robot