Flat, agile, fascinating: a new mini swimming robot comes from a Swiss research team
The mini swimming robot has a fin drive. It was inspired by marine flatworms.
A team of scientists from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI IS) has developed a new swimming robot. This was presented in the study "Highly agile flat swimming robot" in the scientific journal Science Robotics.
The system is based on electrohydraulic actuators. These are components or systems that perform a control or drive function in technical devices. The robot is characterised by its high agility and flat design and could improve the exploration and monitoring of bodies of water.
Due to its compact design and high manoeuvrability, the swimming robot could be used in various areas. In environmental monitoring, an application for measuring water parameters or observing aquatic ecosystems would be conceivable. In addition, small, manoeuvrable swimming robots could be used for inspection tasks in industrial plants.
Functionality and technological principles
The floating robot has a compact design with a length of 45 millimetres and a width of 55 millimetres. It uses electrohydraulic actuators to move through the water. These actuators generate oscillating movements that enable wave-like deformation of the flexible fins and thus generate propulsion.
Source: EPFL
The construction consists of solid and liquid dielectric materials (electrically non-conductive substances) which, in combination with high-voltage control, allow precise adjustment of the movements. The researchers investigated the efficiency of the movement, in particular the relationship between actuation frequency, fin amplitude and generated thrust.
Basics of the research analysis
The analysis of the swimming movement is based, among other things, on the Strouhal parameter, which describes the efficiency of wave-like locomotion patterns. The results indicate that the system achieves effective power transmission. The scientists also investigated the energy consumption of the actuators and optimised the operating frequency in order to achieve the lowest possible power requirement.
Both wired and autonomous variants of the robot were tested for the power supply. Initial experiments with an integrated energy source showed potential for longer operating times, while additional energy savings could be achieved by adjusting the movement dynamics.
Deep dive into the results of the experiment
In the experiments, the robot achieved a maximum swimming speed of 11.9 centimetres per second under optimal operating conditions with a voltage of 1.7 kilovolts and a frequency of 40 hertz. However, this value was achieved in tethered mode (with an external power supply). In autonomous mode (untethered mode), on the other hand, the maximum swimming speed was 5.14 centimetres per second.
Source: EPFL
The investigation of the locomotion revealed that the optimum frequency for maximum thrust is 38.3 Hertz, which is consistent with the measured maximum speed close to 40 Hertz. In addition, a maximum rotation speed of 195 degrees per second was determined.
Further development and outlook
The researchers at EPFL and MPI IS are planning to further develop the concept. Possible optimisations include the energy supply and adaptation to different operating conditions. In the future, the robot could be expanded with additional sensors or modified for specific applications.
Header image: EPFL
20 people like this article
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
