文档介绍：Mechanism and Machine Theory 44 (2009) 615–632
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Mechanism and Machine Theory
journal homepage: ate/mechmt
Modelling and parametric study of modular undulating fin rays
for fish robots
. Low
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore 639798, Republic of Singapore
article info abstract
Article history: Biomimetic robots borrow their senses and structure from animals, such as insects, fish and
Received 12 November 2007 birds. Development of underwater vehicles is one of the areas where biomimetic robots
Received in revised form 31 October 2008 can potentially perform better than conventional robots. In this paper, the biomimetic
Accepted 17 November 2008
design and the workspace study of undulating fin propulsion mechanisms are considered
and discussed. We are interested in fish with long and/or wide undulating body/fin – espe-
cially those of anguilliform, amiiform, rajiform, and gymnotiform. Two major mechanism
layouts developed to mimetic fin undulations of real fish pared and discussed. Vari-
Keywords:
ous kinematics expressions of fin waves are presented and the model’s limitation is also
Biomimetics
Fish robots discussed. For a parametric study, the geometry of a single fin segment of the assembled
Undulating fins fin mechanisms and the fin wave generated are first developed. Next, the fin workspace
Modular mechanism of the single fin segment is derived based on a defined area ratio. By virtue of the obtained
Buoyancy tank fin dimensions, a gymnotiform robot, Nanyang knifefish (NKF-II), has been designed and
Workspace and otion constructed. With the fin-ray linkages with sliders connecting in series, the fish robot is
able to generate arbitrary undulating waveforms. The robot’s maneuvering and its depth
control have also been achieved by the integration of a buoyancy tank with the undulating
fin mechanisms. Initial pool testing has been conducted to