Soft in flow: A compliant flow sensing underwater robot

Prof. Maarja Kruusmaa, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia

Abstract

FILOSE is a 7th Framework program project that investigates the interaction of a soft underwater robot with a flow. Our aim is to develop efficient swimming patterns for a fish-shaped robots in a turbulent environment so that the achieved solutions are energy efficient, easily controllable and at the same time simple from the mechanical and control engineering point of view. One of our goals is to understand the relative importance of morphology, actuation, sensing and control in reproducing the desired behaviours while keeping the complexity of mechanics and control as minimal as possible. 

We investigate how the material properties of a fish body affect the performance of the robot. Also, we look into how flow changes the performance of the robot, in particular, we are interested in what information can the the robot gain from sensing the flow and how to make best use of this information. We also investigate whether efficient behaviors in the flow can be achieved only proprioceptively or does it require external information. 

We have concluded experiments with compliant fish robots in a controlled hydrodynamic environment with and without external flow sensing and analyzed the kinematics, dynamics, and efficiency of the robot. This presentation presents the intermediate results and conclusions of this investigation.

Lecture slides