Robotic Fish Based on a Polymer Actuator

Conducting polymer (CP) materials exhibit significant volume change in response to electrical stimulation. In this paper we present a polymer actuated biomimetic robotic fish. The robot is propelled by a trilayer polypyrrole (PPy) polymer actuator. Experiments were conducted to characterize the properties of PPy polymer. Different configurations of actuators were investigated and justified using experimental results. The robotic fish embeds a microcontroller, a Lithium coin cell battery, and necessary circuitry for navigation and control. It cruises using the actuated tail fin. Waterproofing packaging is designed to protect the electronics. This project has successfully demonstrated that PPy polymers can be used to design robotic fish actuators. A self-contained prototype is demonstrated with 10~12 hours operation lifetime.

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