Robotic snake moves by pushing off obstacles

We'll be honest -- we've seen more snake-like robots than we care to count, but a new creature slithering out of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is noticeably different than most. As you can see above, there's a distinct lack of treads, tracks or wheels on Aiko, as it actually pushes off foreign objects it encounters in order to creep forward. Additionally, researchers have created a "virtual double" of the critter in order to help guide the development of the actual robot, though we've yet to hear if it plans on joining Anna Konda in war on fire.

[Via NewScientist]

[Jonathan @ Mar 6th 2008 11:42AM]

hackaday posted a great video of a similar [read: same] snake robot from Carnegie Mellon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T62E-_pQt3c

[Jonathan @ Mar 6th 2008 11:48AM]

You guys should embed the video. By my calculations, if a picture is worth a thousand words, and the clip is 2 minutes 34 seconds long with an assumed fps of 30, then the entire video could save you 4.62 million words.

You're welcome.

[LondonConsultant @ Mar 6th 2008 12:34PM]

Great video. Scary slithering...

[cmonkey @ Mar 6th 2008 1:55PM]

They aren't the same robot, and they're only similar to the extent that they both use lateral undulation. (CMU's ModSnake can do concertina locomotion too)

[RichardBronosky @ Mar 6th 2008 2:15PM]

Engadget's utter refusal to link to anything outside of the engadget.com domain is so frustrating that I'm considering removing them from my GMail Web Clips, which is the only way I ever end up on this site.

All it takes is 3 clicks and I forget you ever existed. You should think about that, Engadget. There are worse things that users leaving your domain. (Like never coming to your domain.)

[OneLove @ Mar 6th 2008 11:45AM]

thats just wrong

[Magallanes @ Mar 6th 2008 11:59AM]

SNAKE!!! SNAAAAAKE!

:3

[Flashpoint @ Mar 6th 2008 12:03PM]

Does it come with handcuffs?

[rouge @ Mar 6th 2008 12:05PM]

it doesn't look like a snake...

[SimonRichards @ Mar 6th 2008 12:10PM]

Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger

Mushroom Mushroom

AAAAHHHHH IT'S A SNAAAKEE!!!

[Henry @ Mar 6th 2008 12:23PM]

"Virtual double?"

Call me crazy, but doesn't that mean that they just built it with CAD or something?

[Joseph @ Mar 6th 2008 12:26PM]

Didn't they show this off at the Adult Entertainment Expo?

[Flashpoint @ Mar 6th 2008 12:49PM]

Trent's Anal Cam

[djroot2 @ Mar 6th 2008 12:36PM]

Hooray... now my fantasy for robot tentacle porn can finally be realized.

[Rocketboy @ Mar 6th 2008 12:40PM]

"pushes off foreign objects"

So, if you ran it in Norway, it would just sit there, not being able to find something to push off?

[superfresh @ Mar 6th 2008 1:14PM]

I see what you did there.

[Blake @ Mar 7th 2008 10:22AM]

http://piratewars4.piratewarsonline.com/lolcats_prod/uploads/cat243.jpg

[Kurian @ Mar 6th 2008 1:52PM]

Fully automated personal toy. Just show it where to start.

[spaceb @ Mar 6th 2008 1:59PM]

Snakes on a Plane 2: the attack of robot snakes.

[Iridium @ Mar 6th 2008 3:10PM]

Wasn't that on Battlebots years ago? Just covered with shiny metal.

Walking through the CMU robotics lab 10 years ago was truly scary. I can only imagine it now. My friend really had a desire to make deathbots, cute deadly deathbots.