Autonomous Soft Robotic Fish Capable of Escape Maneuvers Using Fluidic Elastomer Actuators

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Bio-inspired Engineering
• Soft Systems

Background:

• Traditional robots often lack the compliance and dexterity of biological organisms.
• Achieving rapid, complex motion in soft-bodied robots presents significant engineering challenges.
• Autonomous, self-contained systems are crucial for real-world robotic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, model, fabricate, and control an autonomous soft-bodied robot.
• To enable the soft robot to perform rapid escape responses, mimicking biological fish.
• To demonstrate that soft robots can be self-contained and achieve high-speed continuum-body motion.

Main Methods:

• Developed a soft fish robot with a compliant body and embedded fluidic elastomer actuators.
• Integrated essential robotic subsystems (power, actuation, processing, control) onboard.
• Modeled and analyzed robot kinematics and controllability during simulated escape maneuvers.

Main Results:

• The soft fish robot successfully executed rapid escape responses and forward swimming.
• The robot demonstrated continuum-body motion and rapid accelerations.
• Input-output relationships during escape responses closely matched those of biological fish.

Conclusions:

• Soft robots can be engineered to be fully self-contained.
• Autonomous soft-bodied robots are capable of high-speed, dynamic movements.
• This work advances bio-inspired robotics and the development of agile soft machines.