5 years ago

Peristaltic Wave Locomotion and Shape Morphing with a Millipede Inspired System

Davide Spinello, Javad S. Fattahi

Abstract

We present the mechanical model of a bio-inspired deformable system, modeled as a Timoshenko beam, which is coupled to a substrate by a system of distributed elements. The locomotion action is inspired by the coordinated motion of coupling elements that mimic the legs of millipedes and centipedes, whose leg-to-ground contact can be described as a peristaltic displacement wave. The multi-legged structure is crucial in providing redundancy and robustness in the interaction with unstructured environments and terrains. A Lagrangian approach is used to derive the governing equations of the system that couple locomotion and shape morphing. Features and limitations of the model are illustrated with numerical simulations.

Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00332-017-9372-7

DOI: 10.1007/s00332-017-9372-7

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