Special Issue on Robotics and Mechatronics Technology for Snake-Like and Hyper-Redundant Robots

Snake-like robots have elongated, snake-like bodies. Because of their long and thin shapes, snake-like robots are expected to play different roles than those occupied by other types of robots. For example, snake-like robots can be used to inspect pipes or search for victims at disaster sites. Many studies have focused on the biomimetics, mechanisms, modeling, analysis, control, navigation, sensing, and localization of snake-like robots, and many efforts have been aimed at their industrialization. This special issue includes a wide range of research and development results from the fields of robotics and mechatronics for snake-like robots and similar elongated, hyper-redundant robots, such as hyper-redundant manipulators, salamander robots, and other articulated mobile robots.