Decentralized-controlled multi-terrain robot inspired by flatworm locomotion

The ability of several animals to move over terrains such as ground and water by real-time adaptation to the environment has inspired the development of multi-terrain robots, but their working area is limited. Therefore, we previously developed an autonomous decentralized control scheme for a robot based on a scaffold-exploitation mechanism inspired by flatworms; simulations showed that the robot could move over various irregular terrains. Here, via real-world experiments, we show that the robot using the proposed control scheme can move over ground (1.78 × 10^-1 m/s on average) and in water (2.97 × 10^-2 m/s on average) by effectively pushing its body against environmental features as scaffolds.