In this paper, we propose a novel strategy for a snake robot to move straight up a cylindrical surface. Prior works on pole-climbing for a snake robot mainly utilized a rolling helix gait, and although proven to be efficient, it does not reassemble movements made by a natural snake. We take inspiration from nature and seek to imitate the Arboreal Concertina Locomotion (ACL) from real-life serpents. In order to represent the 3D curves that make up the key motion patterns of ACL, we establish a set of parametric equations that identify periodic functions, which produce a sequence of backbone curves. We then build up the gait equation using the curvature integration method, and finally, we propose a simple motion estimation strategy using virtual chassis and non-slip model assumptions. We present experimental results using a 20-DOF snake robot traversing outside of a straight pipe.

翻译：本文提出了一种新型蛇形机器人沿圆柱表面直线爬行策略。现有蛇形机器人攀杆研究主要采用滚转螺旋步态，虽经证实高效，但并未模仿真实蛇类的运动模式。我们从自然界汲取灵感，尝试模仿真实蛇类的树木式手风琴运动（ACL）。为表征构成ACL关键运动模式的三维曲线，我们建立了一组参数化方程来识别周期函数，从而生成一系列骨架曲线。随后利用曲率积分法构建步态方程，最终基于虚拟底盘与无滑移模型假设提出简易运动估计策略。我们通过具有20个自由度的蛇形机器人沿直管外壁爬行的实验结果验证了该方法的有效性。