Intrinsic Derivation of the Equations of a Snake Robot based on a Cosserat Beam Model

Abstract: In this paper, we present an intrinsic derivation of the equations ruling the dynamics motion of a snake robot dynamics. Based on a Cosserat beam model, we first show that the extended configuration space is a Lie group. Endowing it with an appropriate left invariant metric, the corresponding Euler-Poincar\'e equations can be reduced to a system of hyperbolic PDEs in the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{se}(3)$. We also provide the constitutive law describing the actuation in this system of PDEs.