Snake robots have advantages of terrain adaptability over wheeled mobile robots and traditional articulated robot arms because of their limbless thin body structure and high flexibility. They have extensive applications in tasks such as rescue, disaster recovery, inspection and minimally invasive surgery. Current research on snake robots is mainly focused on snake-like locomotion and the embodiment of these motion gaits for different applications. Modular structure and real-time control algorithms are two key aspects for snake robots operating in constrained environments. This review will attempt to address both. First, a review on the snake motion and the body structure is provided, which outlines the biological foundation of all snake robots. This is followed by the mechanical structure of snake robots, especially the structure of elemental snake modules. Finally, control algorithms for variant terrain contours and obstacle avoidance are discussed. The review also outlines emerging application areas and potential future directions of snake robots.

蛇形机器人由于无肢的瘦身结构和高度的灵活性，因此具有比轮式移动机器人和传统的铰接式机器人手臂更强的地形适应性的优势。它们在救援，灾难恢复，检查和微创手术等任务中具有广泛的应用。当前对蛇形机器人的研究主要集中在蛇形运动上，以及这些运动步态在不同应用中的体现。模块化结构和实时控制算法是在受限环境中运行的蛇形机器人的两个关键方面。这次审查将尝试同时解决这两个问题。首先，对蛇的运动和身体结构进行了回顾，概述了所有蛇机器人的生物学基础。其次是蛇形机器人的机械结构，特别是基本蛇形模块的结构。最后，讨论了用于变化地形轮廓和避障的控制算法。审查还概述了蛇形机器人的新兴应用领域和潜在的未来方向。