Book 15, Question 72
Why Do Some Robots Wriggle Like Snakes?
Snake robots wriggle because they bend in a wave that travels down their body! The wave pushes against the ground or walls and moves them forward. Their long, thin bodies fit where wheels and legs cannot.
More fun facts
- A NASA engineer said there are dozens of textbooks on designing four-wheel vehicles, but none on designing a snake robot.
- Researchers used a robot to learn exactly how sidewinder rattlesnakes climb sand dunes.
- On steeper slopes, the snakes flatten themselves to touch more sand.
- Those adjustments keep the sand more stable underneath them.
- One snake robot is 94 centimeters long with 16 joints.
- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is building a snake-like robot to travel over extreme terrain.
Sources: BBC, Scientific American, NASA
Questions kids ask
What did a robot teach scientists about sidewinder snakes?
It showed how they climb sand dunes. On steeper slopes, the snakes flatten themselves to touch more sand, which keeps the sand more stable.