Snake-like robot could explore Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus

By Matthew Sparkes

A snake-like robot made of giant screws and flexible joints that can travel across hard or loose surfaces and worm into tiny spaces such as tubes and tunnels may be key to exploring the interior of Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus.

While wheels or legs can traverse flat ground more efficiently, snake-like robots have several advantages. They can conform to tight bends and their small cross section allows them to fit through narrow spaces that would block other robot designs.

The ARCSnake is …