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New classes of robots with non conventional locomotion, such as peristal-
tics, hyper-redundant, worm-like, bio-inspired robots are becoming in-
creasingly popular. PADeMIS [3] has been designed to operate in spinal
canal on column problems. Spinal canal is filled with soft tissue, so the ro-
bot structure has to be flexible, and works with a great contact surface. For
these reasons it crawls by filling with fluid its body segments in a defined
sequence, generating peristaltic waves along its body. A peristaltic colono-
scope with inchworm-like locomotion and with clamping devices used to
stick on intestinal walls has been proposed [4]. Norihiko Saga and Taro
Nakamura used magnetic fluid cells to simulate body segments of a earth-
worm like robot. Elastic rod-like bodies connect segments. The locomotion
is obtained by shifting a magnetic field along the robot body [5]. A further
step towards the realization of an artificial moving plartform designed to
replicate the peristaltic locomotion mechanism is given in [6]. The plat-
form is composed of four modules, each module is actuated by one SMA
spring. The robot is covered by a shaped silicone material that can be en-
dowed with tiny legs in order to obtain differential friction conditions.
Gan’s work provides the conceptual design of a mobile platform com-
posed of a series of modules that look like two cones placed base to base.
Each couple of these cones is connected by a piston-like assembly actuated
by parallel sets of spring-opposed SMA wires. When the piston is actuated
the outer cone is expanded providing the anchor mode. Otherwise the
module extension provides the forward mobility [7]. Moccasin has been
designed to rescue survivors under collapsed buildings after an earthquake
or a bombing; it runs with compressed air. This robot is designed espe-
cially to crawl into pipes, because pipes are often left intact by building
collapse; its locomotion is inchworm-like, as it crawls by putting its soft
padded feet on pipe’s walls. When a module (segment) of the robot short-
ens, bent rubber “foot” bulges out and goes in contact with substratum: a
sequence of these movements generates the desired peristaltic crawling
[8]. A different robotic modular platform has been realized: modules are
contained in a silicone “skin” which makes them volume-constant, simu-
lating real earthworm’s ones. SMA coil actuator is placed along the axis of
every section, providing actuating force. Extension and shortening of seg-
ments is generated by cooling and heating up SMA coils [9]. An inch-
worm-like biomimetic robot designed for axial locomotion that provides
the propulsive force by changing the shape and its interaction with the en-
vironment has been recently proposed [10]. Some worm like robotic solu-tions developed at the PMAR laboratory of the University of Genova are
presented in [11].
4 Overview of the proposed worm robot
The paper presents the design of an earthworm-like robot using SMA ac-
tuation. The locomotion is achieved by connecting in series trust-
orientation modules mimicking the peristaltic waving, and inspection
modules carrying instrumentation and sensors. With reference to the res-
cue application, the sensorial system is composed by one mini-camera, a
microphone, a loudspeaker, CO2 and dangerous gas sensors, chemical ana-
lysers. Mainly, the head module is an inspection module. In the case pre-
sented the mini-camera is mounted on a 2dof active support. Modularity
has been used for mechanical, electric and electronic interfaces in order to
reduce the cost and improve the maintenance and re-configurability of the
platform.
The robot is teleoperated and monitoring data are collected by an um-