Geometric Perspectives on the Mechanics and Control of Robotic Locomotion

This paper uses geometric methods to study basic problems in locomotion. We consider in detail the case of "undulatory locomotion,"which is generated by a coupling of internal shape changes to external nonholonomic constraints. Such locomotion problems can be modeled as a connection on a principal fiber bündle. The properties of connections lead to simplified results for both the dynamics and controllability of locomotion systems. We demonstrate the utility of this approach on a novel "snakeboard"and a multi-segmented Serpentine robot which is modeled after Hirose's ACM.