Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.5
4.5
Journals
Biomimetics
Special Issues
Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics
share announcement

Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Locomotion and Bioinspired Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 14140

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniele Costa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Interests: underwater robotics; biomimetics; collaborative robotics, industrial robotics, machine mechanics, multibody systems
Dr. David Scaradozzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Information Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Interests: marine robotics; educational robotics; STEM; SLAM; photogrammetry; multi agents systems; digital-twins; cyber-physical systems; system theory; systems identification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Edin Omerdic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Interests: dynamic systems; renewable energy; virtual reality; guidance, navigation and control systems; non-linear control systems; underwater robotics; fault-tolerant systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic animals’ locomotion has attracted the attention of biologists and engineers for a long time, and the last thirty years have witnessed a significant growth in the study of the comparative biomechanics of motion through water. The attempts to design machines, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), capable of moving like biological swimmers are inspired by the superior performance of marine animals. Their often-remarkable abilities could inspire innovative designs to improve the ways that human-made systems operate in and interact with the aquatic environment.

As research and use of AUV’s are expanding, there is increased demand for improved efficiency to allow for longer missions to be undertaken. For maneuvering or hovering purposes, the existing systems are insufficient when it comes to demanding applications and coarse compared to the abilities of fish. The advantages of noiseless propulsion and a less conspicuous wake could be of additional significance, particularly for military applications.

Despite the efforts dedicated to pursuing the substantial potential payoffs of marine animals’ locomotion, the performance of biological swimmers is still far from being achieved. The possibility to replicate swimming modes matured over thousands of years of evolution relies on the understanding of the fluid mechanic principles of aquatic animals’ locomotion. Using advanced simulation and measurement techniques, researchers are trying to quantify the propulsive performances of biological swimmers. At the same time, engineers are developing novel design architectures to comply with the complex gaits of fish tails and fins.

Under this perspective, the present collection of papers is expected to provide a paradigm of the power of biomimetic approaches to improve the performance of underwater vehicles. The target is also that of providing a snapshot focus on contemporary research on novel mechanical structures, simulation and testing techniques, innovative applications, and control strategies.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  • Mechanical design of novel swimming robots;
  • Novel applications and research frontiers;
  • Control strategy for path planning and cruising;
  • Robotic fish fleets: communication protocols and industrial applications;
  • Surveillance, patrolling, documentation, and rescue: biomimetic robots employed as service robots;
  • Simulation and modeling of swimming robots;
  • Experimental investigations on swimming performance of robotic fish;
  • Computational fluid dynamics applied to bio-inspired underwater robots.

Dr. Daniele Costa
Dr. David Scaradozzi
Dr. Edin Omerdic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomimetics
  • swimming locomotion
  • autonomous underwater vehicles
  • aquatic robots
  • biological system modeling
  • efficient thrusters
  • soft robotics
  • computational fluid dynamics
  • multibody analysis
  • multi-physics simulations
  • experimental fluid dynamics
  • NGC systems
  • underwater robot fleets

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 3784 KiB  
Article
Disseminating STEM Subjects and Ocean Literacy through a Bioinspired Toolkit
by Daniele Costa, Laura Screpanti and David Scaradozzi
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020161 - 17 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1280
Abstract
Over the last decade, education has been evolving to equip students with the fundamental skills required to cope with the challenges of sustainability and inclusivity, such as quality education, access to clean water, cultural heritage preservation and protection of marine life. Technology supports [...] Read more.
Over the last decade, education has been evolving to equip students with the fundamental skills required to cope with the challenges of sustainability and inclusivity, such as quality education, access to clean water, cultural heritage preservation and protection of marine life. Technology supports the learning process by providing useful tools that enrich the learning environment, encourage active participation, improve collaboration and prepare students for their future life. Educational Robotics is one of the most popular innovative methodologies that supports the development of many skills by assembling and programming robots in a meaningful way. In this paper, the authors aim at advancing their previous work in the field of Educational Robotics applied to the marine environment by proposing a novel bioinspired educational toolkit whose design and features support activities concerning sustainability, ocean literacy, as well as STEM subjects in kindergarten through to grade twelve education. Exploiting the established educational theories and methodologies underpinning Educational Robotics, the toolkit allows for marine-themed activities, as well promoting activities concerning STEM subjects. To explain the relevance of the toolkit, the authors present the robot design, the workshops that every teacher or student can explore as an Open Educational Resource (OERs), and the results of a case study. Interestingly, the latter shows that the use of the toolkit seems to have complemented the students’ initial keen interest in technology itself, with awareness about urgent issues related to the climate and the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 10254 KiB  
Article
Design and Analysis of a Bionic Gliding Robotic Dolphin
by Yang Zhang, Zhengxing Wu, Jian Wang and Min Tan
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020151 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1901
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 4995 KiB  
Article
A Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of a Flapping Hydrofoil as a Thruster
by Luca Alberti, Emanuele Carnevali, Daniele Costa and Andrea Crivellini
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020135 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1310
Abstract
The paper features a computational fluid dynamics study of a flapping NACA0015 hydrofoil moving with a combination of sinusoidal heaving and pitching. Several kinematic configurations are explored, varying sequentially pitch and heave amplitude, Strouhal number and phase angle, in an attempt to determine [...] Read more.
The paper features a computational fluid dynamics study of a flapping NACA0015 hydrofoil moving with a combination of sinusoidal heaving and pitching. Several kinematic configurations are explored, varying sequentially pitch and heave amplitude, Strouhal number and phase angle, in an attempt to determine the influence of each parameter on the propulsive performance. To optimize efficiency the angle of attack should assume the highest value that also avoids the arise of the leading edge vortex generated in the dynamic stall state. At low Strouhal number optimum is reached at high heave amplitudes, which correspond to the configurations minimizing the hysteresis in the (Cy,Cx) plane. The same outcome in terms of hysteresis minimization has been verified to occur when optimal phase shift was considered. Differently, when the Strouhal number and the angle of attack become higher, to exploit efficiently the lift increment owed to dynamic stall it emerged the necessity of adopting low heave amplitude to improve separation resistance, avoiding the occurrence of deep stall. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1218 KiB  
Article
Biomimetic Soft Underwater Robot Inspired by the Red Muscle and Tendon Structure of Fish
by Daisuke Aragaki, Toi Nishimura, Ryuki Sato and Aiguo Ming
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020133 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2138
Abstract
Underwater robots are becoming increasingly important in various fields. Fish robots are attracting attention as an alternative to the screw-type robots currently in use. We developed a compact robot with a high swimming performance by mimicking the anatomical structure of fish. In this [...] Read more.
Underwater robots are becoming increasingly important in various fields. Fish robots are attracting attention as an alternative to the screw-type robots currently in use. We developed a compact robot with a high swimming performance by mimicking the anatomical structure of fish. In this paper, we focus on the red muscles, tendons, and vertebrae used for steady swimming of fish. A robot was fabricated by replacing the red muscle structure with shape memory alloy wires and rigid body links. In our previous work, undulation motions with various phase differences and backward quadratically increasing inter-vertebral bending angles were confirmed in the air, while the swimming performance in insulating fluid was poor. To improve the swimming performance, an improved robot was designed that mimics the muscle contractions of mackerel using a pulley mechanism, with the robot named UEC Mackerel. In swimming experiments using the improved robot, a maximum swimming speed of 25.8 mm/s (0.11 BL/s) was recorded, which is comparable to that of other soft-swimming robots. In addition, the cost of transport (COT), representing the energy consumption required for robot movement, was calculated, and a minimum COT of 0.08 was recorded, which is comparable to that of an actual fish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2355 KiB  
Article
Design of a Bioinspired Underwater Glider for Oceanographic Research
by Diana C. Hernández-Jaramillo and Rafael E. Vásquez
Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010080 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2388
Abstract
The Blue Economy, which is based on the sustainable use of the ocean, is demanding better understanding of marine ecosystems, which provide assets, goods, and services. Such understanding requires the use of modern exploration technologies, including unmanned underwater vehicles, in order to acquire [...] Read more.
The Blue Economy, which is based on the sustainable use of the ocean, is demanding better understanding of marine ecosystems, which provide assets, goods, and services. Such understanding requires the use of modern exploration technologies, including unmanned underwater vehicles, in order to acquire quality information for decision-making processes. This paper addresses the design process for an underwater glider, to be used in oceanographic research, that was inspired by leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), which are known to have a superior diving ability and enhanced hydrodynamic performance. The design process combines elements from Systems Engineering and bioinspired design approaches. The conceptual and preliminary design stages are first described, and they allowed mapping the user’s requirements into engineering characteristics, using quality function deployment to generate the functional architecture, which later facilitated the integration of the components and subsystems. Then, we emphasize the shell’s bioinspired hydrodynamic design and provide the design solution for the desired vehicle’s specifications. The bioinspired shell yielded a lift coefficient increase due to the effect of ridges and a decrease in the drag coefficient at low angles of attack. This led to a greater lift-to-drag ratio, a desirable condition for underwater gliders, since we obtained a greater lift while producing less drag than the shape without longitudinal ridges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 9082 KiB  
Article
An Ultra High Gain Converter for Driving HASEL Actuator Used in Soft Mobile Robots
by Tirthasarathi Lodh and Hanh-Phuc Le
Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010053 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2001
Abstract
Soft robots have the potential to fundamentally change interactions between robots and the surrounding environment, and between robots and animals, and robots and humans in ways that today’s hard robots are incapable of doing. However, to realize this potential, soft robot actuators require [...] Read more.
Soft robots have the potential to fundamentally change interactions between robots and the surrounding environment, and between robots and animals, and robots and humans in ways that today’s hard robots are incapable of doing. However, to realize this potential, soft robot actuators require extremely high voltage supplies of more than 4 kV. The electronics that can satisfy this need currently are either too large and bulky or unable to achieve the high power efficiency required for mobile systems. To meet this challenge, this paper conceptualizes, analyzes, designs, and validates a hardware prototype of an ultra-high gain (UHG) converter that can support extremely large conversion ratios up to ∼1000× to provide up to 5 kV output voltage from an input voltage of ∼5–10 V. This converter is demonstrated to be able to drive HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic) actuators, a promising candidate to realize future soft mobile robotic fishes, from an input voltage range of a 1-cell battery pack. The circuit topology employs a unique hybrid combination of a high-gain switched magnetic element (HGSME) and a diode and capacitor-based voltage multiplier rectifier (DCVMR) to enable compact magnetic elements, efficient soft-charging in all flying capacitors, and adjustable output voltage capability with simple duty-cycle modulation. Achieving an efficiency of 78.2% at 15 W output power, while providing 3.85 kV output from 8.5 V input, the proposed UGH converter proves to be a promising candidate for future untethered soft robots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1545 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Leaping Motion Using a Self-Propelled Bionic Robotic Dolphin Platform
by Junzhi Yu, Tianzhu Wang, Di Chen and Yan Meng
Biomimetics 2023, 8(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010021 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Kinematic analysis of leaping motions can provide meaningful insights into unraveling the efficient and agile propulsive mechanisms in dolphin swimming. However, undisturbed kinematic examination of live dolphins has been very scarce due to the restriction of close-up biological observation with a motion capture [...] Read more.
Kinematic analysis of leaping motions can provide meaningful insights into unraveling the efficient and agile propulsive mechanisms in dolphin swimming. However, undisturbed kinematic examination of live dolphins has been very scarce due to the restriction of close-up biological observation with a motion capture system. The main objective of this study is to quantify the leaping motion of a self-propelled bionic robotic dolphin using a combined numerical and experimental method. More specifically, a dynamic model was established for the hydrodynamic analysis of a changeable submerged portion, and experimental data were then employed to identify hydrodynamic parameters and validate the effectiveness. The effects of wave-making resistance were explored, indicating that there is a varying nonlinear relationship between power and speed at different depths. In addition, the wave-making resistance can be reduced significantly when swimming at a certain depth, which leads to a higher speed and less consumed power. Quantitative estimation of leaping motion is carried out, and the results suggest that with increase of the exiting velocity and angle, the maximum height of the center of mass (CM) increases as well; furthermore, a small exiting angle usually requires a much larger exiting velocity to achieve a complete exiting motion. These findings provide implications for optimizing motion performance, which is an integral part of underwater operations in complex aquatic environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Trends in Bio-Inspired Underwater Robotics)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop