Sidewinders vs. robots: how a herpetologist learned to love physics

Mendelson III, Joseph R.

jmendelson@zooatlanta.org

Zoo Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia USA

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia USA

Our collaborative team based at Zoo Atlanta and Georgia Tech, working with a number of additional institutions, has produced a series of about 10 papers involving the interface of snakes and sand substrates, focusing heavily on sidewinders (Crotalus cerastes). The team included biologists, physicists, and a variety of types of engineers. One of our most novel approaches was to develop a robotics model to test alternate gaits, for example, in a non-biological sidewinder. I will review the highlights of this series of papers and discuss the sometimes bumpy, sometimes hilarious, and often illuminating experiences of working with such a diverse group of specialists—an intellectual Dream Team if there ever was one.