ACM-R5H

A bronze snake like robot on a black background.
Slithering in the dark is not a problem. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology

The ACM-R5H is a snake robot that can go where no human can go. It's designed to perform underwater inspections and search-and-rescue missions in hazardous environments.

Creators

Tokyo Institute of Technology and HiBot

Year
2010
Country
Japan 🇯🇵
Categories
Features
ACM-R5H moving on land and water. Video: HiBot

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Appearance

Neutral

Did you know?

This snake robot can perform motions that even real snakes can't, such as continuously rolling over its entire body.

A segmented, snake-like robot underwater.
Swimming is not a problem either. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology
A segmented wheeled robot on a blue background.
ACM-R1, a 1972 prototype. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology

History

The first ACM-R5H prototype was completed in 2005 at Shigeo Hirose's lab at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. A product version was developed in 2010 by HiBot, a Tokyo Tech spin-off founded by Prof. Hirose, Michele Guarnieri, and Paulo Debenest. The new model was designed to be modular and easier to customize: It's easy to attach more segments to the snake's body to make it longer, or remove segments for a shorter robot. The latest version, which is commercially available, is fully waterproof and a skillful swimmer.

A black and white photo of a segmented wheeled robot.
This model could slither as fast as a snake. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology
A segmented robot with green circles on grass.
Bigger wheels gave this version more agility. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology

More Images

A slinky like silver robot on grass.
This 1999 model was called Slim Slime. Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology

Specs

Overview

Amphibious design, resistant to dust and liquids, modular configuration.

Status

Discontinued

Year

2010

Website
Width
12 cm
Height
12 cm
Length
170 cm
Weight
7 kg (9-segment snake)
Speed
1.44 km/h
Sensors

CCD cameras in the head and tail segments. Other sensors can be added.

Actuators

2 DC servomotors on each segment.

Degrees of Freedom (DoF)
18 (for 9-segment snake, 2 DoF for each segment)
Materials

Aluminum, rubber, and plastic parts.

Compute

HiBot Mini2Axes SH2 microcontroller (on each segment). Head segment with ARM Cortex M4 CPU with Wi-Fi.

Software

Custom embedded system

Power

Each segment has battery and recharger.