Snake Monster: A Reconfigurable Legged Robot using Series-Elastic Actuators

The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University


Biorobotics Lab

Advisors: Howie Choset and Ben Brown

Control of legged robots using modular series-elastic actuators

Developed compliant, force-based, walking controller for Snake Monster, a reconfigurable, multi-modal, mobile-manipulation, legged robot (hexapod /quadruped /biped) that uses modular series-elastic actuators.

Morphologies/Configurations:

  • Hexapod capable of rough terrain locomotion, stair climbing, mobile manipulation, end-point control using limbs
  • Biped capable of dynamic balancing with external disturbances using ankle torques, arm inertial swinging, and real-time CoM trajectory following
  • Roller-walker quadruped uses multi-modal legs that can change ground contact element between feet and passive rolling wheels.

    • Snake Monster is featured on CNET, Reuters, IEEE Spectrum, Wevolver and more.

    Conference paper: Awarded Best Applied Paper at SSRR 2015

    Hebi Robotics: Product Development of Series-elastic actuators

    Responsible for the complete build of 40 series-elastic modular actuators. This includes everything from drafting GD&T drawings, to working with and getting quotes from vendors, to machining and swaging custom parts, to final assembly

    SEAmodule