On the Design of an Autonomous Robot Fish

Abstract—A fish-like propulsion system seems to be an interesting and efficient alternative to propellers in small underwater vehicles. This paper presents the early design stages of a small autonomous robotic vehicle driven by an oscillating foil. It describes the preliminary dimensioning of the vehicle and the selection and sizing of the necessary actuators according to the project’s objectives and constraints. Finally there is a description of the control system implementation for the tail’s motion.