Design of a variable-stiffness flapping mechanism for maximizing the thrust of a bio-inspired underwater robot

Compliance can increase the thrust generated by the fin of a bio-inspired underwater vehicle. To improve the performance of a compliant fin, the compliance should change with the operating conditions; a fin should become stiffer as the oscillating frequency increases. This paper presents a novel var...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioinspiration & biomimetics 2014-09, Vol.9 (3), p.036002-036002
Main Authors: Park, Yong-Jai, Huh, Tae Myung, Park, Daegeun, Cho, Kyu-Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anatomy
Animal Fins - physiology
Animals
bio-inspired mechanism
bio-inspired underwater robot
Biological Clocks - physiology
Biomimetics
Biomimetics - instrumentation
compliant flapping mechanism
Computer Simulation
Computer-Aided Design
Dolphins - physiology
Elastic Modulus - physiology
Energy Transfer - physiology
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Flapping
Models, Biological
Oscillometry - methods
Rheology - instrumentation
Rheology - methods
Robotics - instrumentation
Segments
Ships - instrumentation
Stiffness
Swimming - physiology
Tendons
Thrust
thrust maximization
Underwater robots
variable stiffness
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Summary:Compliance can increase the thrust generated by the fin of a bio-inspired underwater vehicle. To improve the performance of a compliant fin, the compliance should change with the operating conditions; a fin should become stiffer as the oscillating frequency increases. This paper presents a novel variable-stiffness flapping (VaSF) mechanism that can change its stiffness to maximize the thrust of a bio-inspired underwater robot. The mechanism is designed on the basis of an endoskeleton structure, composed of compliant and rigid segments alternately connected in series. To determine the attachment point of tendons, the anatomy of a dolphin's fluke is considered. Two tendons run through the mechanism to adjust the stiffness. The fluke becomes stiffer when the tendons are pulled to compress the structure. The thrust generated by a prototype mechanism is measured under different conditions to show that the thrust can be maximized by changing the stiffness. The thrust of the VaSF device can approximately triple at a certain frequency just by changing the stiffness. This VaSF mechanism can be used to improve the efficiency of a bio-inspired underwater robot that uses compliance.
ISSN:1748-3182
1748-3190
DOI:10.1088/1748-3182/9/3/036002