Analysis and Optimization Based on Factors Affecting the Spiral Climbing Locomotion of Snake-like Robot

The snake-like robot is a limbless bionic robot widely used in unstructured environments to perform tasks with substantial functional flexibility and environmental adaptability in complex environments. In this paper, the spiral climbing motion of a snake-like robot on the outer surface of a cylindrical object was studied based on the three-dimensional motion of a biological snake, and we carried out the analysis and optimization of the motion-influencing factors. First, the spiral climbing motion of the snake-like robot was implemented by the angle control method, and the target motion was studied and analyzed by combining numerical and environmental simulations. We integrated the influence of kinematics and dynamics factors on the spiral climbing motion. Based on this, we established a multi-objective optimization function that utilized the influence factors to optimize the joint module. In addition, through dynamics simulation analysis, the change of the general clamping force of the snake-like robot’s spiral climbing motion was transformed into the analysis of the contact force between the joint module and the cylinder. On the basis of the results, the effect of the control strategy adopted in this paper on the motion and change rule of the spiral climbing motion was analyzed. This paper presents the analysis of the spiral climbing motion, which is of great theoretical significance and engineering value for the realization of the three-dimensional motion of the snake-like robot.