In the realm of robotics and energy-efficient locomotion, researchers like Haroon Hublikar are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Hublikar, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been exploring innovative ways to model and simulate the movement of snake robots across various terrains. His work, published in a recent thesis, offers valuable insights that could have practical applications in the energy sector, particularly in areas like inspection, maintenance, and exploration.
Hublikar’s research presents a unified framework for analyzing the sidewinding and tumbling locomotion of the COBRA snake robot. The study uses a contact-implicit formulation to model the distributed frictional interactions during sidewinding. This approach was validated through MATLAB Simscape simulations and physical experiments conducted on both rigid ground and loose sand. The findings demonstrate that rigid-ground models can provide accurate short-term predictions of motion, which is crucial for real-time control and navigation of robotic systems in the energy industry.
However, the research also highlights the limitations of rigid-ground models when it comes to deformable substrates. To capture the effects of terrain deformation, Hublikar integrated Project Chrono’s Soil Contact Model (SCM) with the articulated multibody dynamics. This integration enables the prediction of slip, sinkage, and load redistribution, which are critical factors that reduce stride efficiency on soft and granular terrains. For the energy sector, this means more reliable and efficient robotic systems for tasks like pipeline inspection and maintenance in challenging environments.
For high-energy rolling locomotion on steep slopes, Hublikar utilized the Chrono DEM Engine to simulate particle-resolved granular interactions. This high-fidelity modeling approach reveals soil failure, intermittent lift-off, and energy dissipation mechanisms that are not captured by rigid models. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing robust and energy-efficient robotic systems for applications like slope stabilization and landslide monitoring in the energy industry.
Hublikar’s work establishes a hierarchical simulation pipeline that advances terrain-aware locomotion for robots operating in unstructured settings. This research not only contributes to the field of robotics but also offers practical applications for the energy sector. By leveraging these advanced modeling and simulation techniques, energy companies can develop more efficient and reliable robotic systems for a wide range of applications, from inspection and maintenance to exploration and monitoring.
The research was published in Haroon Hublikar’s thesis, titled “Contact-Implicit Modeling and Simulation of a Snake Robot on Compliant and Granular Terrain,” which provides a comprehensive overview of the methodologies and findings discussed above.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.