Recent state-of-art researches on robot fish focus on revealing different swimming mechanisms and developing control methods to imitate the kinematics of the real fish formulated by the so-called Lighthill's theory. However, the reason why robot fish must follow this formula has not been fully studied. In this paper, we adopt a biomimetic untethered robot fish to study the kinematics of fish flapping. The robot fish consists of a wire-driven body and a soft compliant tail, which can perform undulatory motion using one motor. A dynamic model integrated with surrounding fluid is developed to predict the cruising speed, static thrust, dynamic thrust, and yaw stability of the robot fish. Three driving patterns of the motor are experimented to achieve three kinematic patterns of the robot fish, e.g., triangular pattern, sinusoidal pattern, and an over-cambered sinusoidal pattern. Based on the experiment results, it is found that the sinusoidal pattern generated the largest average static thrust and steady cruising speed, while the triangular pattern achieved the best yaw stability. The over-cambered sinusoidal pattern was compromised in both metrics. Moreover, the kinematics study has shown that the body curves of the robot fish were similar to the referenced body curves presented by the formula when using the sinusoidal pattern, especially the major thrust generation area. This research provides a guidance on the kinematic optimization and motor control of the undulatory robot fish.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
August 2018
Research-Article
A Study on Kinematic Pattern of Fish Undulatory Locomotion Using a Robot Fish
Yong Zhong,
Yong Zhong
Mem. ASME
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: zhongyong_hust@foxmail.com
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: zhongyong_hust@foxmail.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Jialei Song,
Jialei Song
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Shatin 999077, N.T., Hong Kong, China
e-mail: songjialei_1989@163.com
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Rm 110 William M.W.Mong Eng.Bldg
,Shatin 999077, N.T., Hong Kong, China
e-mail: songjialei_1989@163.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Haoyong Yu,
Haoyong Yu
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: bieyhy@nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: bieyhy@nus.edu.sg
Search for other works by this author on:
Ruxu Du
Ruxu Du
Fellow ASME
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
Room 209, William M.W. Mong
Engineering Building,
Shatin 999077, N.T.,
e-mail: rdu@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
,Room 209, William M.W. Mong
Engineering Building,
Shatin 999077, N.T.,
Hong Kong, China
e-mail: rdu@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
Search for other works by this author on:
Yong Zhong
Mem. ASME
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: zhongyong_hust@foxmail.com
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: zhongyong_hust@foxmail.com
Jialei Song
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Shatin 999077, N.T., Hong Kong, China
e-mail: songjialei_1989@163.com
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Rm 110 William M.W.Mong Eng.Bldg
,Shatin 999077, N.T., Hong Kong, China
e-mail: songjialei_1989@163.com
Haoyong Yu
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: bieyhy@nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore,
Block E6, Level 7,
5 Engineering Drive 1,
Singapore 117608
e-mail: bieyhy@nus.edu.sg
Ruxu Du
Fellow ASME
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
Room 209, William M.W. Mong
Engineering Building,
Shatin 999077, N.T.,
e-mail: rdu@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
Department of Mechanical
and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
,Room 209, William M.W. Mong
Engineering Building,
Shatin 999077, N.T.,
Hong Kong, China
e-mail: rdu@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
1Present address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E6, Level 7, 5 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117608.
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS. Manuscript received May 5, 2017; final manuscript received May 16, 2018; published online June 25, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Byung-Ju Yi.
J. Mechanisms Robotics. Aug 2018, 10(4): 041013 (11 pages)
Published Online: June 25, 2018
Article history
Received:
May 5, 2017
Revised:
May 16, 2018
Citation
Zhong, Y., Song, J., Yu, H., and Du, R. (June 25, 2018). "A Study on Kinematic Pattern of Fish Undulatory Locomotion Using a Robot Fish." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. August 2018; 10(4): 041013. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4040434
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Conceptual Design of a Novel Particle-based Soft Grasping Gripper
J. Mechanisms Robotics
Design of a 2RRU-RRS Parallel Kinematic Mechanism for an Inner-Cavity Machining Hybrid Robot
J. Mechanisms Robotics
A Variable Stiffness Sole for Biped Robot and its Experimental Verification
J. Mechanisms Robotics
Robust Multilegged Walking Robots for Interactions With Different Terrains
J. Mechanisms Robotics (January 2024)
Related Articles
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Parameter Estimation for Nonzero Slip Models of Wheeled Mobile Robots: A Skid-Steer Case Study
J. Mechanisms Robotics (October,2021)
Bio-Inspired Locomotion of Circular Robots With Diametrically Translating Legs
J. Mechanisms Robotics (February,2020)
Data-Driven Analysis of Locomotion for a Class of Articulated Mobile Robots
J. Mechanisms Robotics (October,2021)
Actuation-Coordinated Mobile Parallel Robots With Hybrid Mobile and Manipulation Functions
J. Mechanisms Robotics (August,2022)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Robot Education with Mobile Robots
Designs and Prototypes of Mobile Robots
Kinematics Analysis of Scissor Robot
International Conference on Control Engineering and Mechanical Design (CEMD 2017)
Accuracy-associated Models
Mechanics of Accuracy in Engineering Design of Machines and Robots Volume I: Nominal Functioning and Geometric Accuracy