New Japanese Snakebot "Goes Where Humans Can't"

Spectrum tells us this snake robot “goes where humans can’t”, which sounds like a threat. No sir, I don’t like it. This snakebot is made by the same company — HiBot, a spinoff of the Hirose-Fukushima Lab at the Tokyo Institute of Technology — that made the swimming snake robot.  This model, the ACM-R4H, was built smaller than their other models for remote surveillance in tight spaces (giggity).  It’s half a meter long, weighs 4.5 kg (~10 lb), has a three hour battery life, comes with a camera and LEDs, and can be fitted with infrared vision or mechanical grippers.  Yes, grippers.  Hang on.  *wanders into the backyard, takes a deep breath, screams, birds fly away in all directions*

And I’m back.  Check out the video below if you want to see this navigating 90 degree corners in air ducts and avoiding obstacles.  And so it begins.

Two more videos at Spectrum IEEE.