Design and Analysis of a Bionic Gliding Robotic Dolphin

In this paper, we focus on the design and analysis of a bionic gliding robotic dolphin. Inspired by natural dolphins, a novel bionic gliding robotic dolphin is developed. Different from the existing ones, the gliding robotic dolphin developed in this work is specially introduced with a yaw joint to connect its three oscillating joints to improve maneuverability in both dolphin-like swimming and gliding motion. Consequently, the gliding robotic dolphin can realize several flexible motion patterns under the coordination of its flippers, yaw joint, oscillating joints, and buoyancy-driven modular. Thereafter, relying on the Newton–Euler method, a hybrid-driven dynamic model is constructed to further analyze the propulsive performance in both dolphin-like swimming and gliding motions. Finally, various simulations and experiments, including forward swimming, gliding, and turning in both dolphin-like swimming and gliding modes, are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the developed gliding robotic dolphin.