Specifically, a serpentine movement. Undulate is the best word, but this is for younger kids and I'm not sure I want to use it in the opening sentence. I don't like the synonyms I've been able to find. Suggestions?
Writhe? Crawl? Slide? Snake? If it's not an actual snake then saying it "snaked it's way along" would be quite effective.
It's not a snake. It is segmented and the segments are able to move vertically with respect to one another, so that it describes a wave-like path. Undulates seems to fit that pretty well. The other snaky terms don't.
Wind, weave, slink, clickity-clack, skitter, inch it rolled across the floor like swells across the ocean ETA: Arch. It arched its way across the floor in little waves. Lurch
Weave might work. Arched, as well. Wriggle would be OK but this is a large structure so it seems out of place. Thanks for putting these words out there. This is helpful.
The problem if its an object that moves toward anything or if its just a bunch of parts sitting vertically on top of each other and moving around. Slither is best if it moves like a snake, wave is good if it doesn't move beyond waving around. I'm not sure snaked works... oh wait, they are synonyms.
Just in case you haven't already settled... Oscillate (waveform generators are called oscillators)? Or maybe fluctuate (perhaps connotes less repeatability/predictability) or vacillate (has other connotations around indecisiveness)? Or if you're after an adjective: sinuous (alludes to a sine wave, which may fit your description)? I'm a little confused as to whether you're wanting to describe the overall movement of the structure or that of its individual segments. I think the 'sciencey' words work better for the latter, but could form part of a compound description (e.g. sinuous oscillation). Or you could adjectivise them and attach to a more general word (e.g. fluctuant motion). If the overall structure is linear, I'll second those that proposed weave (e.g. running alternating sides through a line of poles, which would resemble the waveform you've mentioned), wind (e.g. a sidewinder is a type of snake renowned for this kind of motion), or just snake itself. Pulse/pulsatile might work in the right context. I like serpentine as an adjective (as used in your first post). Applied to motion, it's quite evocative. In testing horses for some neurological problems, they're made to walk in straight-but-undulating lines, and these exercises are actually called 'serpentines' (where I am at least!). Failing all this, maybe the eels in your hovercraft have some ideas!
It's the holidays for me right now. So I'll get plenty of sleep anyway. I can get up at 11:00 if needs be.