We consider the nonholonomic motion planning problem for a novel class of snakelike modular mobile manipulators, where each module is implemented as a planar parallel manipulator with idler wheels. This assembly is actuated by shape changes of its modules, which, under the influence of the nonholonomic constraints on the wheels, induce a global motion of the assembly.

We formulate the kinematics for a generic assembly of this type and specialize to the 2-module case in order to study the motion planning problem in greater detail.