S1 was a recreation of earlier work by Shigeo Hirose in Japan, in which a single train of deflection travels down the length of the snake.
Oscillatory deflections cause the snake to move forward.
An offset to the oscillations causes the snake to steer. The wheels on each segment allow the snake to slide along its length while gripping laterally. Novel features include the use of servos of different sizes along the length of the snake to give a more tapered appearance. This feature increases the realism and efficiency of the snake but means that each segment has to be custom designed. Remote control is achieved using a vertical joystick for speed, and a horizontal one for steering.