title: Towards realization of multi-terrestrial locomotion: decentralized control of a sheet-like robot based on the scaffold-exploitation mechanism.
abstract: Autonomous decentralized control is an attractive concept for designing robots that can exhibit highly adaptive animal-like behaviour. However, despite its appeal, previous robots based on this scheme could only adapt to a limited number of environments. Our hypothesis it that this problem can be overcome by simply implementing a scaffold-exploitation mechanism. We draw our inspiration from flatworms, which move over various terrains using their two-dimensional sheet-like body, and we design an autonomous decentralized control scheme for a similar robot based on the scaffold-exploitation mechanism. Simulation results show that a robot with the proposed control scheme can move efficiently over various irregular terrains. Our control scheme is not specific to a certain environment, but will be applicable in any environment; it could thus form the basis for developing a multi-terrestrial robot whose working area covers land, sea and even air.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. tkano@riec.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kano
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005246:Feedback; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000502:physiology*; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods