Characteristic evaluation of an underwater micro biped robot with multi DOF

In the medical field and in Industry application, a new type of A Novel Type of Micro Biped Robot with Multi DOF that can swim smoothly in water or aqueous medium has urgently been demanded. The fish-like microrobot is one of the micro and miniature devices, which is installed with sensing and actuating elements. This paper describes the new structure and motion mechanism of an underwater microrobot using ICPF actuator, and discusses the swimming possibility of the microrobot in water. Characteristic of the underwater microrobot is measured by changing the frequency and the amplitude of input voltage. The experimental results indicate that the swimming speed of proposed underwater micro robot can be controlled by changing the frequency of input voltage; the moving direction (upward or downward) can be controlled by changing the amplitude and the frequency of input voltage.

[1]  Toshio Fukuda,et al.  Distributed type of actuators by shape memory alloy and its application to underwater mobile robotic mechanism , 1990, Proceedings., IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[2]  L. Maddock.  Mechanics and physiology of animal swimming , 2004, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.

[3]  M. M. Smith,et al.  Biology of fishes , 1986 .

[4]  Shuxiang Guo,et al.  Development of underwater microrobot using ICPF actuator , 1998, Proceedings. 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.98CH36146).

[5]  Shuxiang Guo,et al.  A new type of fish-like underwater microrobot , 2003 .

[6]  Mohsen Shahinpoor,et al.  Biomimetic robotic propulsion using polymeric artificial muscles , 1997, Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[7]  Q. Bone,et al.  Mechanics and Physiology of Animal Swimming: Contributors , 1994 .

[8]  Y. Osada,et al.  A polymer gel with electrically driven motility , 1992, Nature.

[9]  Toshi Takamori,et al.  An actuator model of ICPF for robotic applications on the basis of physicochemical hypotheses , 2000, Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065).

[10]  Fumihito Arai,et al.  Steering mechanism of underwater micro mobile robot , 1995, Proceedings of 1995 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[11]  Toshi Takamori,et al.  Development of a distributed actuation device consisting of soft gel actuator elements , 1998, Proceedings. 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.98CH36146).

[12]  Shuxiang Guo,et al.  A novel type of underwater micro biped robot with multi DOF , 2004, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004.

[13]  Fumihito Arai,et al.  Mechanism and swimming experiment of micro mobile robot in water , 1994, Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.