# Linear Twisting Sidewinding Gait Motion Planning for Snake Robots on Complex Terrain

- Source: arXiv cs.RO
- Published: 2026-10-22T04:00:00.000Z
- RoboHot: https://robohot.news/en/items/h7unv5sagqpez65ue04lukxjc
- Original: https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.29461

## Summary

The study proposes a linear twisting function that distributes torsional load across the entire body of a snake robot, replacing the existing rolling vector method's approach of concentrating it in two middle twisting joints. Under matched turning speed and total output power, the new gait reduces the peak output power of a single twisting joint by 42%. Real-robot experiments show it can move on various terrains that the existing rolling vector method cannot traverse, and is up to 49% faster than the traditional sidewinding gait without twisting.