Performance of a bionic Carangidae robot fish based on a dielectric elastomer material

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Carangidae fish possess streamlined bodies for efficient, swift swimming.
• Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are smart materials with high strain and rapid response, ideal for actuators in flexible bionic robots.
• Smart material-driven soft fins enhance the realism and performance of bionic robot fish.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a Carangidae-inspired bionic robot fish using dielectric elastomer actuators.
• To replicate the fin-swing motion of Carangidae fish using DE material structures.
• To investigate the swimming behavior of the bionic robot fish under varying electrical stimuli.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dielectric elastomer (DE) based actuators for fin propulsion.
• Designed a DE structure inspired by Carangidae minimum energy principles.
• Tested swimming performance under sinusoidal voltage signals with varied amplitudes and frequencies.

Main Results:

• The bionic robot fish successfully mimicked the medium/paired fin (MPF) propulsion mode.
• Achieved a maximum swimming speed of 8.6 mm/s.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of DEs for realistic fish-like locomotion.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a novel application of dielectric elastomers in Carangidae bionic robots.
• Provides a theoretical foundation for DE-based soft robotic fish.
• Highlights the potential for DEs to create more realistic and efficient bionic swimming systems.