This clip demonstrates recent work to develop compliant controllers for our lab’s snake robots. These controllers allow the robot to automatically adapt its shape to changes in its environment. Until now most of our motions, including pole climbing, have been remote-controlled.

In this video the robot autonomously climbs a 4″ pole, transitions to a 2″ pole, and then to an arm, demonstrating that the controller is able to adapt to different diameters of objects without exerting too much force for to be uncomfortable in human contact.

[via Emergent Futures]