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Thrust Improvement of a Biomimetic Robotic Fish by Using a Deformable Caudal Fin
Hua Shao1,2,3, Bingbing Dong1,4, Changzhen Zheng4,5
1Key Laboratory of Metallurgical Equipment and Control Technology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 23, 2022
Summary
This study introduces a novel deformable caudal fin for biomimetic robotic fish, enhancing swimming performance. The "instant mode" deformation significantly boosts thrust generation by 27.5% compared to nondeformable fins.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Biomimetics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Live fish utilize deformable fins for enhanced swimming capabilities like speed and stability.
- Current biomimetic robotic fish often lack this crucial fin deformability.
- Improving thrust generation is key for advanced robotic fish performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and investigate a novel deformable caudal fin platform for biomimetic robotic fish.
- To enhance thrust generation through controlled fin deformation.
- To explore different fin deformation patterns and their impact on performance.
Main Methods:
- Designed a deformable caudal fin incorporating a servo motor, transmission, fin bones, and silica membrane.
- Developed an improved Central Pattern Generator (CPG) model for coordinated tail flapping and fin deformation.
- Conducted experiments to compare thrust generation across three modes: nondeformable, sinusoidal, and instant deformation.
Main Results:
- The 'instant mode' deformation yielded the highest thrust, a 27.5% improvement over the nondeformable mode.
- The 'sinusoidal-based mode' also showed significant improvement, with an 18.2% increase in thrust.
- Fin deformation demonstrably enhances thrust generation in biomimetic robotic fish.
Conclusions:
- The novel deformable caudal fin platform effectively improves thrust generation in robotic fish.
- The 'instant mode' offers the most substantial performance enhancement.
- This research provides a new approach for designing and controlling deformable fins, advancing high-performance biomimetic robotic fish development.
