COBRA - A robotic Snake

At the Silicon Synapse Laboratory at Northeastern University as part of my Research assistantship role, one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I worked on was the redesign of the head of a robotic snake for lunar applications. This project involved incorporating advanced perception systems such as LiDAR and IMU sensors to enable the snake to navigate and map the lunar terrain. I had to consider crucial factors such as cooling vents for the Nvidia Jetson, a powerful computer that runs the snake’s software, a mechanical latching mechanism for seamless connection between the head and tail, and strategically positioned cameras and LiDAR for SLAM functionality. SLAM stands for simultaneous localization and mapping, which is a technique that allows the snake to create a map of its surroundings while estimating its own position. The redesigned head of the snake improved its performance, reliability, and versatility, making it suitable for various lunar missions such as exploration, excavation, and construction.