Dynamic Modeling of a Non-Uniform Flexible Tail for a Robotic Fish

In this paper, a non-uniform flexible tail of a fish robot was presented and the dynamic model was developed. In this model, the non-uniform flexible tail was modeled by a rotary slender beam. The hydrodynamics forces, including the reactive force and resistive force, were analyzed in order to derive the governing equation. This equation is a fourth-order in space and second-order in time Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of the lateral movement function. The coefficients of this PDE were not constants because of the non-uniform beams, so they were approximated by exponential functions in order to obtain an analytical solution. This solution describes the lateral movement of the flexible tail as a function of material, geometrical and actuator properties. Experiments were then carried out and compared to simulations. It was proved that the proposed model is suitable for predicting the real behavior of fish robots.

[1]  Kamal Youcef-Toumi,et al.  Design of Machines With Compliant Bodies for Biomimetic Locomotion in Liquid Environments , 2006 .

[2]  Liang Yang,et al.  Numerical study of propulsion mechanism for oscillating rigid and flexible tuna-tails , 2011 .

[3]  Arthur W. Leissa.  Vibration of Continuous Systems , 2011 .

[4]  Joel W. Burdick,et al.  Experiments in carangiform robotic fish locomotion , 2000, Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065).

[5]  Huosheng Hu,et al.  Biological inspiration: From carangiform fish to multi-joint robotic fish , 2010 .

[6]  Long Wang,et al.  Parameter Optimization of Simplified Propulsive Model for Biomimetic Robot Fish , 2005, Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[7]  J. Altringham,et al.  A continuous dynamic beam model for swimming fish , 1998 .

[8]  M. Lighthill.  Note on the swimming of slender fish , 1960, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[9]  I. M. Longman,et al.  On the Swimming of a “Pod ” , 1966 .

[10]  M. Kruusmaa,et al.  A flexible fin with bio-inspired stiffness profile and geometry , 2011 .

[11]  Maarja Kruusmaa,et al.  A bio-inspired compliant robotic fish: Design and experiments , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[12]  Tuong Quan Vo,et al.  Propulsive Velocity Optimization of 3-Joint Fish Robot Using Genetic-Hill Climbing Algorithm , 2009 .

[13]  Qin Yan,et al.  Parametric Research of Experiments on a Carangiform Robotic Fish , 2008 .

[14]  Weishan Chen,et al.  Research on the Swing of the Body of Two-Joint Robot Fish , 2008 .

[15]  Michael Sfakiotakis,et al.  Review of fish swimming modes for aquatic locomotion , 1999 .

[16]  Edward W. Suppiger,et al.  Free lateral vibration of beams of variable cross section , 1956 .

[17]  Joel W. Burdick,et al.  Construction and Modelling of a Carangiform Robotic Fish , 1999, ISER.

[18]  G. Gillis,et al.  Undulatory Locomotion in Elongate Aquatic Vertebrates: Anguilliform Swimming since Sir James Gray , 1996 .

[19]  Long Wang,et al.  Dynamic Modeling of Robotic Fish Using Schiehien's Method , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics.

[20]  Pablo,et al.  Design of biomimetic compliant devices for locomotion in liquid environments , 2007 .