Robot snake slithers brilliantly after much trial and error

STUDENT PROJECT - Intelligent robots - for search and rescue, exploration and surveillance - are a new and challenging field. Unique and versatile, could robot snakes advance the abilities of machines in these fields? Serpentine robots are a ground-breaking innovation in robotics. These flexible and slithering machines excel at navigating complex and confined spaces, offering immense potential in various fields. In search and rescue scenarios, for example, robotic snakes are excellent at manoeuvring through narrow and cluttered environments such as collapsed buildings or debris. With their flexible bodies, they can easily navigate tight spaces, climb obstacles and explore inaccessible areas. Equipped with cameras and sensors, these robots transmit real-time data, aiding rescuers in locating survivors and assessing surrounding conditions. With the objective to undertake a project that would have practical relevance in the real world, this year, a team of EPFL bachelor's students in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) undertook a project to make Flipper the robot snake as part of the Making Intelligent Things course.