There was a laboratory experience for undergraduates (grade1, 2) in our lab on August 3^rd!! The outline of the experience is as follows.

Laboratory: Bioinspired intelligent mechatronics laboratory (Ma Lab)
Theme: learning control program of snake-like robot
Teacher in charge: Prof. Ma, Prof. Kakogawa
Date: One day between late May and early July
Place: Bioinspired intelligent mechatronics laboratory (5^th floor of East Wing)
Capacity: 14 people (minimum 3 people)
Content: Though the snake of the creature is a body such as one string, why can it move smoothly? Learn the principle of movement based on knowledge of trigonometric functions studied in high school mathematics and do programming using seven joint plane snake type robot. Finally, do a contest that competes for accuracy and time of movement within a given course.

The 4 undergraduates participated!  (More than we thought!)
They were divided into two groups and challenged the time trial using a snake-like robot. The both teams managed to complete the course by trial and error in  programing.

They copied a successful barometer and were thinking about strategies.

They tried to stabilize the motion of the robot by putting a weight on the head of the robot.（*^_^*）

Comments from participants

(1) I think that I was able to expand my view of robots by watching the movements of  the robot with no legs, trying programming, and experiencing that robots are not just moving with their legs.
And I have not fully understood the principle, but as for programming, there was a discovery that changing the value of α, ω, β (value in power point) etc. would change the meandering condition and the speed of the robot. It was interesting. And I was touched by the fact that the robot can go so steadily without a leg. (grade1)

(2) In this experience, I learned about a mechanism and a program of the snake robot. Especially the mechanism was interesting. I thought that I would like to actually make it when watching to move by complicated process, which the wheels were attached to the bottom but the driving force was not there.(grade1)