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

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: hibot.co.jp
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.