Journal ArticleDOI
Bio-inspired aquatic robotics by untethered piezohydroelastic actuation
Lejun Cen,Alper Erturk +1 more
TLDR
This paper investigates fish-like aquatic robotics using flexible bimorphs made of macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric laminates for carangiform locomotion as well as the development of a robotic fish prototype combining a microcontroller and a printed-circuit-board amplifier to generate high actuation voltage for untethered locomotion.Abstract:
This paper investigates fish-like aquatic robotics using flexible bimorphs made of macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric laminates for carangiform locomotion. In addition to noiseless and efficient actuation over a range of frequencies, geometric scalability, and simple design, bimorph propulsors made of MFCs offer a balance between the actuation force and velocity response for performance enhancement in bio-inspired swimming. The experimental component of the presented work focuses on the characterization of an elastically constrained MFC bimorph propulsor for thrust generation in quiescent water as well as the development of a robotic fish prototype combining a microcontroller and a printed-circuit-board amplifier to generate high actuation voltage for untethered locomotion. From the theoretical standpoint, a distributed-parameter electroelastic model including the hydrodynamic effects and actuator dynamics is coupled with the elongated-body theory for predicting the mean thrust in quiescent water. In-air and underwater experiments are performed to verify the incorporation of hydrodynamic effects in the linear actuation regime. For electroelastically nonlinear actuation levels, experimentally obtained underwater vibration response is coupled with the elongated-body theory to predict the thrust output. The measured mean thrust levels in quiescent water (on the order of ∼10 mN) compare favorably with thrust levels of biological fish. An untethered robotic fish prototype that employs a single bimorph fin (caudal fin) for straight swimming and turning motions is developed and tested in free locomotion. A swimming speed of 0.3 body-length/second (7.5 cm s−1 swimming speed for 24.3 cm body length) is achieved at 5 Hz for a non-optimized main body-propulsor bimorph combination under a moderate actuation voltage level.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Fish-inspired robots: design, sensing, actuation, and autonomy--a review of research.
Aditi Raj,Atul Thakur +1 more
TL;DR: A detailed comparison of various design features of fish-inspired robots reported in the past decade is presented, believing that by studying the existing robots, future designers will be able to create new designs by adopting features from the successful robots.
Journal ArticleDOI
3D Printing Materials for Soft Robotics.
TL;DR: Recent developments in the field of materials for 3D printing of soft robotics are summarized, including high-performance flexible and stretchable materials, hydrogels, self-healing materials, and shape memory polymers.
Journal ArticleDOI
Dynamic Modeling of a Robotic Fish Propelled by a Compliant Tail
TL;DR: In this paper, a dynamic model for a robotic fish propelled by a tail with a flexible fin is presented, which can be used for simulation, prediction, design optimization, and control, as it allows for the description of the robot's motion as a function of the unique input of the system.
Journal ArticleDOI
Energy harvesting from the tail beating of a carangiform swimmer using ionic polymer-metal composites.
Youngsu Cha,Matteo Verotti,Horace Walcott,Sean D. Peterson,Sean D. Peterson,Maurizio Porfiri +5 more
TL;DR: A modeling framework for the underwater vibration of the biomimetic tail is proposed, wherein the tail is assimilated to a cantilever beam with rectangular cross section and heterogeneous physical properties and the effect of the encompassing fluid is described through a hydrodynamic function.
Journal ArticleDOI
Fish and robot dancing together: Bluefin killifish females respond differently to the courtship of a robot with varying color morphs
TL;DR: While variation in preference was high among females, females tend to spend more time in the vicinity of the yellow painted robot replicas, in agreement with previous observations in mosquitofish and zebrafish on fish preference for artificially enhanced yellow pigmentation.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Review of fish swimming modes for aquatic locomotion
TL;DR: In this article, an overview of the swimming mechanisms employed by fish is presented, with a relevant and useful introduction to the existing literature for engineers with an interest in the emerging area of aquatic biomechanisms.
Book
Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting
Alper Erturk,Daniel J. Inman +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a mathematical model of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system with a two-segment cantilever and a single-mode Euler-Bernoulli model.
Journal ArticleDOI
Frequency response of cantilever beams immersed in viscous fluids with applications to the atomic force microscope
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed theoretical analysis of the frequency response of a cantilever beam that is immersed in a viscous fluid and excited by an arbitrary driving force is presented.
Journal ArticleDOI
Powering MEMS portable devices—a review of non-regenerative and regenerative power supply systems with special emphasis on piezoelectric energy harvesting systems
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an overview of strategies for powering MEMS via non-regenerative and regenerative power supplies, along with recent advancements, and discuss future trends and applications for piezoelectric energy harvesting technology.
Book
Fundamentals of Vibrations
L Meirovitch,Robert G. Parker +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the Fourier series is used to measure the response of a single-degree-of-freedom system to initial and non-periodic oscillations, respectively.