Modelling cephalopod-inspired pulsed-jet locomotion for underwater soft robots

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Biomimetics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Cephalopods inspire novel designs for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
• Soft-bodied UUVs utilize recursive fluid ingestion and expulsion for locomotion.
• Vehicle performance is significantly influenced by the elastic properties of the shell.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a coupled propulsion-elastodynamics model for cephalopod-inspired soft-bodied UUVs.
• To validate the model against experimental data from existing prototypes.
• To formulate an efficiency metric that includes elastic energy contributions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a computational model integrating propulsion and elastodynamics.
• Experimental validation using physical prototypes of the UUVs.
• Formulation of a novel efficiency metric for the propulsion routine.

Main Results:

• The developed model accurately predicts vehicle performance based on elastic shell response.
• A new metric quantifies propulsion efficiency, incorporating elastic energy.
• The model allows for analysis of efficiency across different pulsation frequencies and vehicle morphologies.

Conclusions:

• The coupled propulsion-elastodynamics model is a valuable tool for designing and analyzing cephalopod-inspired UUVs.
• The efficiency metric provides insights for optimizing UUV performance.
• This approach facilitates a priori energetic analysis for UUV design and actuation patterns.