sidewinder •

Scientists have finally come up with a new one. Studying the way the venomous sidewinder rattlesnake moves on sand and taking that information digitally and programming a robot to imitate it.

The robotic snake has sensors, a processor, and other equipment along a series of joints and links that enable it to move like a sidewinder rattlesnake does and not only that but on a sandy incline.

At first the researchers had to figure out how a sidewinder moves and used high speed video to capture the creatures movements. When they did that they were able to analyze the data and solve that locomotion mystery. As it turns out the snake could lift one part of its body vertically and the other part horizontally. This allowed for the snake to move smoothly with the least amount of energy. As for moving on sand, the researchers imported lots of sand from the snake’s native Arizona desert and put that sand in an enclosure that had a platform that could be raised creating an incline. The snake then navigated up the incline and the scientists recorded that data. They took that data and incorporated it into the robot or robosnake as it’s called.

True to form, the project worked but limitations still only allowed for the robosnake to move up a 20% incline maximum. The scientists also tested around 13 other species of snakes on the incline and found only one could manage the climb.

The applications of this experiment are many. One is that such robots could move and access terrain hitherto inaccessible and gather intelligence or take part in rescue operations. Other applications could involve everything from military to even toys.

The team of physicists came from Georgia Tech, Carnegie Melon University, and Zoo Atlanta. The robosnake was developed by the Carnegie Mellon team and consists of 16 modules that measure about a meter in length.

Imitating nature has been done before with inventions but now because of advanced robotics and computers as well as data collecting sensors and remote control, robotics experts can make far more sophisticated robots to the point of even fooling the public. We’ve seen it in toys for decades but those toys are far less sophisticated than what today’s robotics are coming up with. Researchers are studying the movements of other animals from fish to spiders and the final products that will aid society overall.

Recently, the U.S. researchers have portrayed for the first time how ‘sidewinder’ rattlesnakes shin up sand mounds, with the help of a robot.

The researchers observed snakes on an artificial mound, finding that the snakes often flatten themselves on the steeper slopes to increase their contact with the sand.

Moreover, the researchers tested the new insights with the help of a robotic snake and described the best strategy for the snakes that how to balance the sandy slope without slipping.

This study is published in the ‘Science’ Magazine.

The researchers explained that, unhinged, grainy surfaces such as sand mounds cause a scrupulous problem for animals and robots trying to traverse them.

Sand Strategy

Dr Daniel Goldman, senior author, who runs a biomechanics lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology stated, “We actually hypothesized the way snakes could climb will be by digging out their bodies deep into sand, the same as we would do on a sandy slope.”

However, that’s not what he and his colleagues found, but as they painted reflective markers vigilantly on to 6 noxious rattlesnakes and put them in tilting sand, which they call home.

Dr. Goldman told BBC, “The most striking thing for us was how nice these animals are as subjects, they lean to just sidewind on command.”

Another surprise, captured by our high-resolution video cameras was that rather than digging in for extra purchase, these rattlesnakes trampled themselves smoothly against the sandy surface, every time we skewed the ‘mound’ more orderly.

In addition, these are just sidewinding rattlesnake also known as ‘Crotalus Cerastes’ that used this strategy. The researchers also put 13 other species of pit viper with the same challenge, tried other squirming techniques and got nowhere, with the exemption of one: a stippled rattlesnake that inched its way very slowly up the incline using a concertina motion.

Furthermore, Dr. Goldman said, “sidewinders can ascend any sand mound we threw at them.”

Dr. Goldman and his colleagues also contacted robotics engineers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in order to test out their results in detail.

Elizabeth, a robot, which had failed in Egypt, slipping and falling on a steep slope in an archaeological site.

So, the robotic engineers took Elizabeth to the artificial mound that Dr. Goldman and his team had built in a shed out back of Atlanta Zoo in order to see what they could learn. Not surprisingly, the robot’s performance improved.

Andrew Graham, who is the technical director at Bristol Company (OC Robotics), particularly specializes in snake like robots. He stated that, though the Carnegie Mellon team was quite famous for their sidewinding designs, the novel study was a thorough examination of the efficacy of the process.

He further told BBC News, “They have looked deeply into the entire matter, end to end, and illustrated the application of what they have observed in nature to a robotic model.”

He added that these new rattlesnake insights would possibly help Prof Choset’s robots to become more effective and applicable to distinctive environments.

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