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Zhao Q, Zhang C, Chen J, Zhang M, Yuan J, Zhao L, Zhang J, Huang C, He G. Hydrodynamic pressure sensing for a biomimetic robotic fish caudal fin integrated with a resistive pressure sensor. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2024; 19:056018. [PMID: 39116911 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad6d21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Micro-sensors, such as pressure and flow sensors, are usually adopted to attain actual fluid information around swimming biomimetic robotic fish for hydrodynamic analysis and control. However, most of the reported micro-sensors are mounted discretely on body surfaces of robotic fish and it is impossible to analyzed the hydrodynamics between the caudal fin and the fluid. In this work, a biomimetic caudal fin integrated with a resistive pressure sensor is designed and fabricated by laser machined conductive carbon fibre composites. To analyze the pressure exerted on the caudal fin during underwater oscillation, the pressure on the caudal fin is measured under different oscillating frequencies and angles. Then a model developed from Bernoulli equation indicates that the maximum pressure difference is linear to the quadratic power of the oscillating frequency and the maximum oscillating angle. The fluid disturbance generated by caudal fin oscillating increases with an increase of oscillating frequency, resulting in the decrease of the efficiency of converting the kinetic energy of the caudal fin oscillation into the pressure difference on both sides of the caudal fin. However, perhaps due to the longer stability time of the disturbed fluid, this conversion efficiency increases with the increase of the maximum oscillating angle. Additionally, the pressure variation of the caudal fin oscillating with continuous different oscillating angles is also demonstrated to be detected effectively. It is suggested that the caudal fin integrated with the pressure sensor could be used for sensing thein situflow field in real time and analyzing the hydrodynamics of biomimetic robotic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanliang Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinghao Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengying Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junjie Yuan
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Can Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangping He
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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2
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Hennig R, Beaudette A, Golecki HM, Walsh CJ. Educational Soft Underwater Robot with an Electromagnetic Actuation. Soft Robot 2024; 11:444-452. [PMID: 38190293 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2021.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
As demonstrated by the Soft Robotics Toolkit Platform, compliant robotics pose an exciting educational opportunity. Underwater robotics using soft undulating fins is an expansive research topic with applications such as exploration of underwater life or replicating 3d swarm behavior. To make this research area accessible for education we developed Educational Soft Underwater Robot with Electromagnetic Actuation (ESURMA), a humanoid soft underwater robot. We achieved advances in simplicity, modularity, and performance by implementing electromagnetic actuation into the caudal fin. An electromagnet, including electronics, is placed in a waterproof housing, and permanent magnets are embedded in a soft silicone cast tail. The force from their magnetic interaction results in a bending movement of the tail. The magnetic actuation is simple to implement and requires no mechanical connection between the actuated component and the electrically controlled coil. This enables robust waterproofing and makes the device fully modular. Thanks to the direct and immediate transmission of force, experimental flapping frequencies of 14 Hz were achieved, an order of magnitude higher compared to pneumatically actuated tails. The completely silent actuation of the caudal fin enables a maximum swimming speed of 14.3 cm/s. With its humanoid shape, modular composition, and cost efficiency ESURMA represents an attractive platform for education and demonstrates an alternative method of actuating soft structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hennig
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alex Beaudette
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Holly M Golecki
- Department of Bioengineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Conor J Walsh
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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3
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Liao X, Zhou C, Cheng L, Wang J, Fan J, Zhang Z. A Fast Online Elastic-Spine-Based Stiffness Adjusting Mechanism for Fishlike Swimming. Soft Robot 2024. [PMID: 38648291 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fish tunes fishtail stiffness by coordinating its tendons, muscles, and other tissues to improve swimming performance. For robotic fish, achieving a fast and online fishlike stiffness adjustment over a large-scale range is of great significance for performance improvement. This article proposes an elastic-spine-based variable stiffness robotic fish, which adopts spring steel to emulate the fish spine, and its stiffness is adjusted by tuning the effective length of the elastic spine. The stiffness can be switched in the maximum adjustable range within 0.26 s. To optimize the motion performance of robotic fish by adjusting fishtail stiffness, a Kane-based dynamic model is proposed, based on which the stiffness adjustment strategy for multistage swimming is constructed. Simulations and experiments are conducted, including performance measurements and analyses in terms of swimming speed, thrust, and so on, and online stiffness adjustment-based multistage swimming, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed variable stiffness robotic fish. The maximum speed and lowest cost of transport for robotic fish are 0.43 m/s (equivalent to 0.81 BL/s) and 7.14 J/(kg·m), respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocun Liao
- Laboratory of Cognition and Decision Intelligence for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- Laboratory of Cognition and Decision Intelligence for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Long Cheng
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Laboratory of Cognition and Decision Intelligence for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junfeng Fan
- Laboratory of Cognition and Decision Intelligence for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuoliang Zhang
- Laboratory of Cognition and Decision Intelligence for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Huang Z, Menzer A, Guo J, Dong H. Hydrodynamic analysis of fin-fin interactions in two-manta-ray schooling in the vertical plane. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2024; 19:026004. [PMID: 38176107 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad1b2e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the interaction of a two-manta-ray school using computational fluid dynamics simulations. The baseline case consists of two in-phase undulating three-dimensional manta models arranged in a stacked configuration. Various vertical stacked and streamwise staggered configurations are studied by altering the locations of the top manta in the upstream and downstream directions. Additionally, phase differences between the two mantas are considered. Simulations are conducted using an in-house developed incompressible flow solver with an immersed boundary method. The results reveal that the follower will significantly benefit from the upstroke vortices (UVs) and downstroke vortices depending on its streamwise separation. We find that placing the top manta 0.5 body length (BL) downstream of the bottom manta optimizes its utilization of UVs from the bottom manta, facilitating the formation of leading-edge vortices (LEVs) on the top manta's pectoral fins during the downstroke. This LEV strengthening mechanism, in turn, generates a forward suction force on the follower that results in a 72% higher cycle-averaged thrust than a solitary swimmer. This benefit harvested from UVs can be further improved by adjusting the phase of the top follower. By applying a phase difference ofπ/3to the top manta, the follower not only benefits from the UVs of the bottom manta but also leverages the auxiliary vortices during the upstroke, leading to stronger tip vortices and a more pronounced forward suction force. The newfound interaction observed in schooling studies offers significant insights that can aid in the development of robot formations inspired by manta rays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Alec Menzer
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Jiacheng Guo
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Haibo Dong
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
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5
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Wang Y, Wang J, Kang S, Yu J. Target-Following Control of a Biomimetic Autonomous System Based on Predictive Reinforcement Learning. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:33. [PMID: 38248607 PMCID: PMC11154344 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological fish often swim in a schooling manner, the mechanism of which comes from the fact that these schooling movements can improve the fishes' hydrodynamic efficiency. Inspired by this phenomenon, a target-following control framework for a biomimetic autonomous system is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a following motion model is established based on the mechanism of fish schooling swimming, in which the follower robotic fish keeps a certain distance and orientation from the leader robotic fish. Second, by incorporating a predictive concept into reinforcement learning, a predictive deep deterministic policy gradient-following controller is provided with the normalized state space, action space, reward, and prediction design. It can avoid overshoot to a certain extent. A nonlinear model predictive controller is designed and can be selected for the follower robotic fish, together with the predictive reinforcement learning. Finally, extensive simulations are conducted, including the fix point and dynamic target following for single robotic fish, as well as cooperative following with the leader robotic fish. The obtained results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, providing a valuable sight for the cooperative control of underwater robots to explore the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Jian Wang
- The Laboratory of Cognitive and Decision Intelligence for Complex System, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (J.W.); (S.K.)
- The School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Song Kang
- The Laboratory of Cognitive and Decision Intelligence for Complex System, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (J.W.); (S.K.)
- The School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- The Laboratory of Cognitive and Decision Intelligence for Complex System, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; (J.W.); (S.K.)
- The State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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6
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Tack NB, Du Clos KT, Gemmell BJ. Fish can use coordinated fin motions to recapture their own vortex wake energy. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231265. [PMID: 38179082 PMCID: PMC10762429 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
During swimming, many fishes use pectoral fins for propulsion and, in the process, move substantial amounts of water rearward. However, the effect that this upstream wake has on the caudal fin remains largely unexplored. By coordinating motions of the caudal fin with the pectoral fins, fishes have the potential to create constructive flow interactions which may act to partially recapture the upstream energy lost in the pectoral fin wake. Using experimentally derived velocity and pressure fields for the silver mojarra (Eucinostomus argenteus), we show that pectoral-caudal fin (PCF) coordination enables the circulation and interception of pectoral fin wake vortices by the caudal fin. This acts to transfer energy to the caudal fin and enhance its hydrodynamic efficiency at swimming speeds where this behaviour occurs. We also find that mojarras commonly use PCF coordination in nature. The results offer new insights into the evolutionary drivers and behavioural plasticity of fish swimming as well as for developing more capable bioinspired underwater vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils B. Tack
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Kevin T. Du Clos
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Brad J. Gemmell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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Chen B, Zhang J, Meng Q, Dong H, Jiang H. Complex Modal Characteristic Analysis of a Tensegrity Robotic Fish's Body Waves. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 9:6. [PMID: 38248580 PMCID: PMC11154480 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A bionic robotic fish based on compliant structure can excite the natural modes of vibration, thereby mimicking the body waves of real fish to generate thrust and realize undulate propulsion. The fish body wave is a result of the fish body's mechanical characteristics interacting with the surrounding fluid. Thoroughly analyzing the complex modal characteristics in such robotic fish contributes to a better understanding of the locomotion behavior, consequently enhancing the swimming performance. Therefore, the complex orthogonal decomposition (COD) method is used in this article. The traveling index is used to quantitatively describe the difference between the real and imaginary modes of the fish body wave. It is defined as the reciprocal of the condition number between the real and imaginary components. After introducing the BCF (body and/or caudal fin) the fish's body wave curves and the COD method, the structural design and parameter configuration of the tensegrity robotic fish are introduced. The complex modal characteristics of the tensegrity robotic fish and real fish are analyzed. The results show that their traveling indexes are close, with two similar complex mode shapes. Subsequently, the relationship between the traveling index and swimming performance is expressed using indicators reflecting linear correlation (correlation coefficient (Rc) and p value). Based on this correlation, a preliminary optimization strategy for the traveling index is proposed, with the potential to improve the swimming performance of the robotic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxing Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (B.C.); (J.Z.); (Q.M.)
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (B.C.); (J.Z.); (Q.M.)
| | - Qiuxu Meng
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (B.C.); (J.Z.); (Q.M.)
| | - Hui Dong
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; (B.C.); (J.Z.); (Q.M.)
| | - Hongzhou Jiang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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8
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Chen D, Xiong Y, Wang B, Tong R, Meng Y, Yu J. Performance Optimization for Bionic Robotic Dolphin with Active Variable Stiffness Control. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:545. [PMID: 37999186 PMCID: PMC10669495 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8070545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquatic animals such as fish and cetaceans can actively modulate their body stiffness with muscle to achieve excellent swimming performance under different situations. However, it is still challenging for a robotic swimmer with bionic propulsion mode to dynamically adjust its body stiffness to improve the swimming speed due to the difficulties in designing an effective stiffness adjustment structure. In this paper, based on the special torque mode of a motor, we propose an active variable stiffness control method for a robotic dolphin to pursue better swimming speed. Different from a variable stiffness structure design, a torque control strategy for the caudal motor is employed to imitate the physical property of a torsion spring to act as the variable stiffness component. In addition, we also establish a dynamic model with the Lagrangian method to explore the variable stiffness mechanism. Extensive experiments have validated the dynamic model, and then the relationships between frequency and stiffness on swimming performance are presented. More importantly, through integrating the dynamic model and torque actuation mode-based variable stiffness mechanism, the online performance optimization scheme can be easily realized, providing valuable guidance in coordinating system parameters. Finally, experiments have demonstrated the stiffness adjustment capability of the caudal joint, validating the effectiveness of the proposed control method. The results also reveal that stiffness plays an essential role in swimming motion, and the active stiffness adjustment can significantly contribute to performance improvement in both speed and efficiency. Namely, with the adjustment of stiffness, the maximum speed of our robotic dolphin achieves up to 1.12 body length per second (BL/s) at 2.88 Hz increasing by 0.44 BL/s. Additionally, the efficiency is also improved by 37%. The conducted works will offer some new insights into the stiffness adjustment of robotic swimmers for better swimming performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yan Xiong
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ru Tong
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Decision Intelligence for Complex System, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
| | - Yan Meng
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Science and Technology on Integrated Information System Laboratory, Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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9
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Ko H, Lauder G, Nagpal R. The role of hydrodynamics in collective motions of fish schools and bioinspired underwater robots. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230357. [PMID: 37876271 PMCID: PMC10598440 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective behaviour defines the lives of many animal species on the Earth. Underwater swarms span several orders of magnitude in size, from coral larvae and krill to tunas and dolphins. Agent-based algorithms have modelled collective movements of animal groups by use of social forces, which approximate the behaviour of individual animals. But details of how swarming individuals interact with the fluid environment are often under-examined. How do fluid forces shape aquatic swarms? How do fish use their flow-sensing capabilities to coordinate with their schooling mates? We propose viewing underwater collective behaviour from the framework of fluid stigmergy, which considers both physical interactions and information transfer in fluid environments. Understanding the role of hydrodynamics in aquatic collectives requires multi-disciplinary efforts across fluid mechanics, biology and biomimetic robotics. To facilitate future collaborations, we synthesize key studies in these fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hungtang Ko
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - George Lauder
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Radhika Nagpal
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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10
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Anastasiadis A, Paez L, Melo K, Tytell ED, Ijspeert AJ, Mulleners K. Identification of the trade-off between speed and efficiency in undulatory swimming using a bio-inspired robot. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15032. [PMID: 37699939 PMCID: PMC10497532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41074-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Anguilliform swimmers, like eels or lampreys, are highly efficient swimmers. Key to understanding their performances is the relationship between the body's kinematics and resulting swimming speed and efficiency. But, we cannot prescribe kinematics to living fish, and it is challenging to measure their power consumption. Here, we characterise the swimming speed and cost of transport of a free-swimming undulatory bio-inspired robot as we vary its kinematic parameters, including joint amplitude, body wavelength, and frequency. We identify a trade-off between speed and efficiency. Speed, in terms of stride length, increases for increasing maximum tail angle, described by the newly proposed specific tail amplitude and reaches a maximum value around the specific tail amplitude of unity. Efficiency, in terms of the cost of transport, is affected by the whole-body motion. Cost of transport decreases for increasing travelling wave-like kinematics, and lower specific tail amplitudes. Our results suggest that live eels tend to choose efficiency over speed and provide insights into the key characteristics affecting undulatory swimming performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Anastasiadis
- Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura Paez
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Eric D Tytell
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Auke J Ijspeert
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Karen Mulleners
- Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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11
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Sánchez-Rodríguez J, Raufaste C, Argentina M. Scaling the tail beat frequency and swimming speed in underwater undulatory swimming. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5569. [PMID: 37689714 PMCID: PMC10492801 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41368-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Undulatory swimming is the predominant form of locomotion in aquatic vertebrates. A myriad of animals of different species and sizes oscillate their bodies to propel themselves in aquatic environments with swimming speed scaling as the product of the animal length by the oscillation frequency. Although frequency tuning is the primary means by which a swimmer selects its speed, there is no consensus on the mechanisms involved. In this article, we propose scaling laws for undulatory swimmers that relate oscillation frequency to length by taking into account both the biological characteristics of the muscles and the interaction of the moving swimmer with its environment. Results are supported by an extensive literature review including approximately 1200 individuals of different species, sizes and swimming environments. We highlight a crossover in size around 0.5-1 m. Below this value, the frequency can be tuned between 2-20 Hz due to biological constraints and the interplay between slow and fast muscles. Above this value, the fluid-swimmer interaction must be taken into account and the frequency is inversely proportional to the length of the animal. This approach predicts a maximum swimming speed around 5-10 m.s-1 for large swimmers, consistent with the threshold to prevent bubble cavitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Sánchez-Rodríguez
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INPHYNI, 17 Rue Julien Lauprêtre, Nice, 06200, France
- Departamento de Física Fundamental, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Instabilities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Raufaste
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INPHYNI, 17 Rue Julien Lauprêtre, Nice, 06200, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Médéric Argentina
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INPHYNI, 17 Rue Julien Lauprêtre, Nice, 06200, France.
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12
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Zhang Y, Kong D, Shi Y, Cai M, Yu Q, Li S, Wang K, Liu C. Recent progress on underwater soft robots: adhesion, grabbing, actuating, and sensing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1196922. [PMID: 37614630 PMCID: PMC10442648 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1196922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The research on biomimetic robots, especially soft robots with flexible materials as the main structure, is constantly being explored. It integrates multi-disciplinary content, such as bionics, material science, mechatronics engineering, and control theory, and belongs to the cross-disciplinary field related to mechanical bionics and biological manufacturing. With the continuous development of various related disciplines, this area has become a hot research field. Particularly with the development of practical technologies such as 3D printing technology, shape memory alloy, piezoelectric materials, and hydrogels at the present stage, the functions and forms of soft robots are constantly being further developed, and a variety of new soft robots keep emerging. Soft robots, combined with their own materials or structural characteristics of large deformation, have almost unlimited degrees of freedom (DoF) compared with rigid robots, which also provide a more reliable structural basis for soft robots to adapt to the natural environment. Therefore, soft robots will have extremely strong adaptability in some special conditions. As a type of robot made of flexible materials, the changeable pose structure of soft robots is especially suitable for the large application environment of the ocean. Soft robots working underwater can better mimic the movement characteristics of marine life in the hope of achieving more complex underwater tasks. The main focus of this paper is to classify different types of underwater organisms according to their common motion modes, focusing on the achievements of some bionic mechanisms in different functional fields that have imitated various motion modes underwater in recent years (e.g., the underwater sucking glove, the underwater Gripper, and the self-powered soft robot). The development of various task types (e.g., grasping, adhesive, driving or swimming, and sensing functions) and mechanism realization forms of the underwater soft robot are described based on this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeming Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Demin Kong
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Yan Shi
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Maolin Cai
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Qihui Yu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Shuping Li
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Chuangchuang Liu
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
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13
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Guo J, Zhang W, Han P, Fish FE, Dong H. Thrust generation and propulsive efficiency in dolphin-like swimming propulsion. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:056001. [PMID: 37414002 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ace50b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Given growing interest in emulating dolphin morphology and kinematics to design high-performance underwater vehicles, the current research effort is dedicated to studying the hydrodynamics of dolphin-like oscillatory kinematics in forward propulsion. A computational fluid dynamics method is used. A realistic three-dimentional surface model of a dolphin is made with swimming kinematics reconstructed from video recording. The oscillation of the dolphin is found to enhance the attachment of the boundary layer to the posterior body, which then leads to body drag reduction. The flapping motion of the flukes is found to generate high thrust forces in both the downstroke and the upstroke, during which vortex rings are shed to produce strong thrust jets. The downstroke jets are found to be on average stronger than the upstroke jet, which then leads to net positive lift production. The flexion of the peduncle and flukes is found to be a crucial feature of dolphin-like swimming kinematics. Dolphin-inspired swimming kinematics were created by varying the flexion angle of the peduncle and flukes, which then resulted in significant performance variation. The thrust benefits and propulsive efficiency benefits are associated with a slight decrease and slight increase of the flexion of the peduncle and flukes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Guo
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States of America
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States of America
| | - Pan Han
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States of America
| | - Frank E Fish
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, United States of America
| | - Haibo Dong
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States of America
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14
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Wang T, Yu J, Chen D, Meng Y. A Torque Control Strategy for a Robotic Dolphin Platform Based on Angle of Attack Feedback. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:291. [PMID: 37504179 PMCID: PMC10807485 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8030291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological fish can always sense the state of water flow and regulate the angle of attack in time, so as to maintain the highest movement efficiency during periodic flapping. The biological adjustment of the caudal fin's angle of attack (AoA) depends on the contraction/relaxation of the tail muscles, accompanying the variation in tail stiffness. During an interaction with external fluid, it helps to maintain the optimal angle of attack during movement, to improve the propulsion performance. Inspired by this, this paper proposes a tail joint motion control scheme based on AoA feedback for the high-speed swimming of bionic dolphins. Firstly, the kinematic characteristics of the designed robot dolphin are analyzed, and the hardware basis is clarified. Second, aiming at the deficiency of the tail motor, which cannot effectively cooperate with the waist joint motor during high-frequency movement, a compensation model for the friction force and latex skin-restoring force is designed, and a joint angle control algorithm based on fuzzy inference is proposed to realize the tracking of the desired joint angle for the tail joint in torque mode. In addition, a tail joint closed-loop control scheme based on angle of attack feedback is proposed to improve the motion performance. Finally, experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed motion control scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (D.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Di Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (D.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yan Meng
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (D.C.); (Y.M.)
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15
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Zhang B, Chen Y, Wang Z, Ma H. Research and Experiment on a Bionic Fish Based on High-Frequency Vibration Characteristics. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:253. [PMID: 37366848 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8020253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper takes the high-frequency vibration characteristics of a bionic robot fish as the research object. Through research on the vibration characteristics of a bionic fish, we quantified the role of voltage and beat frequency in high-speed and stable swimming. We proposed a new type of electromagnetic drive. The tail is made of 0° silica gel to simulate the elastic characteristics of fish muscles. We completed a series of experimental studies on the vibration characteristics of biomimetic robotic fish. Through the single-joint fishtail underwater experiment, the influence of vibration characteristics on parameters during swimming was discussed. In terms of control, the central mode generator control method (CPG) control model is adopted, and a replacement layer is designed in combination with particle swarm optimization (PSO). By changing the elastic modulus of the fishtail, the fishtail resonates with the vibrator, and the swimming efficiency of the bionic fish is improved. Finally, through the prototype experiment, it is found that the bionic robot fish can achieve high-speed swimming through high-frequency vibration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150009, China
| | - Yu Chen
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150009, China
| | - Zhuo Wang
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150009, China
| | - Hongwen Ma
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150009, China
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16
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Oliveira Santos S, Tack N, Su Y, Cuenca-Jiménez F, Morales-Lopez O, Gomez-Valdez PA, Wilhelmus MM. Pleobot: a modular robotic solution for metachronal swimming. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9574. [PMID: 37311777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36185-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Metachronal propulsion is widespread in aquatic swarming organisms to achieve performance and maneuverability at intermediate Reynolds numbers. Studying only live organisms limits our understanding of the mechanisms driving these abilities. Thus, we present the design, manufacture, and validation of the Pleobot-a unique krill-inspired robotic swimming appendage constituting the first platform to study metachronal propulsion comprehensively. We combine a multi-link 3D printed mechanism with active and passive actuation of the joints to generate natural kinematics. Using force and fluid flow measurements in parallel with biological data, we show the link between the flow around the appendage and thrust. Further, we provide the first account of a leading-edge suction effect contributing to lift during the power stroke. The repeatability and modularity of the Pleobot enable the independent manipulation of particular motions and traits to test hypotheses central to understanding the relationship between form and function. Lastly, we outline future directions for the Pleobot, including adapting morphological features. We foresee a broad appeal to a wide array of scientific disciplines, from fundamental studies in ecology, biology, and engineering, to developing new bio-inspired platforms for studying oceans across the solar system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Oliveira Santos
- Center for Fluid Mechanics, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Nils Tack
- Center for Fluid Mechanics, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Yunxing Su
- Center for Fluid Mechanics, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Francisco Cuenca-Jiménez
- Circuito Interior s/n, Engineering, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Oscar Morales-Lopez
- Circuito Interior s/n, Engineering, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - P Antonio Gomez-Valdez
- Circuito Interior s/n, Engineering, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Coyoacán, Mexico
| | - Monica M Wilhelmus
- Center for Fluid Mechanics, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA.
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17
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Vercruyssen TGA, Henrion S, Müller UK, van Leeuwen JL, van der Helm FCT. Cost of Transport of Undulating Fin Propulsion. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:214. [PMID: 37366809 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Autonomous robots are used to inspect, repair and maintain underwater assets. These tasks require energy-efficient robots, including efficient movement to extend available operational time. To examine the suitability of a propulsion system based on undulating fins, we built two robots with one and two fins, respectively, and conducted a parametric study for combinations of frequency, amplitude, wavenumber and fin shapes in free-swimming experiments, measuring steady-state swimming speed, power consumption and cost of transport. The following trends emerged for both robots. Swimming speed was more strongly affected by frequency than amplitude across the examined wavenumbers and fin heights. Power consumption was sensitive to frequency at low wavenumbers, and increasingly sensitive to amplitude at high wavenumbers. This increasing sensitivity of amplitude was more pronounced in tall rather than short fins. Cost of transport showed a complex relation with fin size and kinematics and changed drastically across the mapped parameter space. At equal fin kinematics as the single-finned robot, the double-finned robot swam slightly faster (>10%) with slightly lower power consumption (<20%) and cost of transport (<40%). Overall, the robots perform similarly to finned biological swimmers and other bio-inspired robots, but do not outperform robots with conventional propulsion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Henrion
- Corporate Research and Development, Royal Boskalis, 3356 LK Papendrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrike K Müller
- Department of Biology, Fresno State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans C T van der Helm
- Biomechatronics and Bio-Robotics, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HS Delft, The Netherlands
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18
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Tong R, Feng Y, Wang J, Wu Z, Tan M, Yu J. A Survey on Reinforcement Learning Methods in Bionic Underwater Robots. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:168. [PMID: 37092420 PMCID: PMC10123646 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bionic robots possess inherent advantages for underwater operations, and research on motion control and intelligent decision making has expanded their application scope. In recent years, the application of reinforcement learning algorithms in the field of bionic underwater robots has gained considerable attention, and continues to grow. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of the accomplishments of reinforcement learning algorithms in the field of bionic underwater robots. Firstly, we classify existing reinforcement learning methods and introduce control tasks and decision making tasks based on the composition of bionic underwater robots. We further discuss the advantages and challenges of reinforcement learning for bionic robots in underwater environments. Secondly, we review the establishment of existing reinforcement learning algorithms for bionic underwater robots from different task perspectives. Thirdly, we explore the existing training and deployment solutions of reinforcement learning algorithms for bionic underwater robots, focusing on the challenges posed by complex underwater environments and underactuated bionic robots. Finally, the limitations and future development directions of reinforcement learning in the field of bionic underwater robots are discussed. This survey provides a foundation for exploring reinforcement learning control and decision making methods for bionic underwater robots, and provides insights for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yukai Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhengxing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Min Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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19
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Thandiackal R, Lauder G. In-line swimming dynamics revealed by fish interacting with a robotic mechanism. eLife 2023; 12:81392. [PMID: 36744863 PMCID: PMC10032654 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Schooling in fish is linked to a number of factors such as increased foraging success, predator avoidance, and social interactions. In addition, a prevailing hypothesis is that swimming in groups provides energetic benefits through hydrodynamic interactions. Thrust wakes are frequently occurring flow structures in fish schools as they are shed behind swimming fish. Despite increased flow speeds in these wakes, recent modeling work has suggested that swimming directly in-line behind an individual may lead to increased efficiency. However, only limited data are available on live fish interacting with thrust wakes. Here we designed a controlled experiment in which brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, interact with thrust wakes generated by a robotic mechanism that produces a fish-like wake. We show that trout swim in thrust wakes, reduce their tail-beat frequencies, and synchronize with the robotic flapping mechanism. Our flow and pressure field analysis revealed that the trout are interacting with oncoming vortices and that they exhibit reduced pressure drag at the head compared to swimming in isolation. Together, these experiments suggest that trout swim energetically more efficiently in thrust wakes and support the hypothesis that swimming in the wake of one another is an advantageous strategy to save energy in a school.
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20
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Bioinspired Propulsion System for a Thunniform Robotic Fish. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7040215. [PMID: 36546915 PMCID: PMC9775513 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7040215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper describes a bioinspired propulsion system for a robotic fish model. The system is based on a combination of an elastic chord with a tail fin fixed on it. The tail fin is connected to a servomotor by two symmetric movable thrusts simulating muscle contractions. The propulsion system provides the oscillatory tail movement with controllable amplitude and frequency. Tail oscillations translate into the movement of the robotic fish implementing the thunniform principle of locomotion. The shape of the body and the tail fin of the robotic fish were designed using a computational model simulating a virtual body in an aquatic medium. A prototype of a robotic fish was constructed and tested in experimental conditions. Dependencies of fish velocity on the dynamic characteristics of tail oscillations were analyzed. In particular, it was found that the robot's speed increased as the frequency of tail fin oscillations grew. We also found that for fixed frequencies, an increase in the oscillation amplitude lead to an increase in the swimming speed only up to a certain threshold. Further growth of the oscillation amplitude lead to a weak increase in speed at higher energy costs.
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21
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Tack NB, Gemmell BJ. A tale of two fish tails: does a forked tail really perform better than a truncate tail when cruising? J Exp Biol 2022; 225:281299. [PMID: 36354328 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Many fishes use their tail as the main thrust producer during swimming. This fin's diversity in shape and size influences its physical interactions with water as well as its ecological functions. Two distinct tail morphologies are common in bony fishes: flat, truncate tails which are best suited for fast accelerations via drag forces, and forked tails that promote economical, fast cruising by generating lift-based thrust. This assumption is based primarily on studies of the lunate caudal fin of Scombrids (i.e. tuna, mackerel), which is comparatively stiff and exhibits an airfoil-type cross-section. However, this is not representative of the more commonly observed and taxonomically widespread flexible forked tail, yet similar assumptions about economical cruising are widely accepted. Here, we present the first comparative experimental study of forked versus truncate tail shape and compare the fluid mechanical properties and energetics of two common nearshore fish species. We examined the hypothesis that forked tails provide a hydrodynamic advantage over truncate tails at typical cruising speeds. Using experimentally derived pressure fields, we show that the forked tail produces thrust via acceleration reaction forces like the truncate tail during cruising but at increased energetic costs. This reduced efficiency corresponds to differences in the performance of the two tail geometries and body kinematics to maintain similar overall thrust outputs. Our results offer insights into the benefits and tradeoffs of two common fish tail morphologies and shed light on the functional morphology of fish swimming to guide the development of bio-inspired underwater technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils B Tack
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Brad J Gemmell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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22
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Zhu H, Wang Y, Ge Y, Zhao Y, Jiang C. Kirigami-Inspired Programmable Soft Magnetoresponsive Actuators with Versatile Morphing Modes. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2203711. [PMID: 36180420 PMCID: PMC9661843 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202203711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Untethered soft magnetoresponsive actuators (SMRAs), which can realize rapid shape transformation, have attracted widespread attention for their strategic applications in exploration, transportation, and minimally invasive medicine. It remains a challenge to fabricate SMRAs with complicated morphing modes (more than bending and folding), limiting their applications to simple shape-morphing and locomotion. Herein, a method integrating the ancient kirigami art and an advanced mechanical assembly method is proposed, which realizes 2D-to-3D and 3D-to-3D complicated shape-morphing and precise magnetization programming through cut-guided deformation. The kirigami-inspired SMRAs exhibit good robustness after actuating more than 10000 times. An integrated finite element analysis method is developed to quantitatively predict the shape transformation of SMRAs under magnetic actuation. By leveraging this method, a set of 3D curved responsive morphologies with programmed Gaussian curvature are fabricated (e.g., ellipsoid and saddle structures), specifically 3D multilayer structures and face-like shapes with different expressions, which are difficult to realize using previous approaches. Furthermore, a bionic-scaled soft crawling robot with significant obstacle surmounting ability is fabricated using the kirigami-inspired method. The ability of the method to achieve programmable SMRAs with versatile morphing modes may broaden its applications in soft robotics, color-switchable devices, and clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle BodyCollege of Mechanical and Vehicle EngineeringHunan UniversityChangsha410082P. R. China
| | - Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle BodyCollege of Mechanical and Vehicle EngineeringHunan UniversityChangsha410082P. R. China
| | - Yangwen Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle BodyCollege of Mechanical and Vehicle EngineeringHunan UniversityChangsha410082P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle BodyCollege of Mechanical and Vehicle EngineeringHunan UniversityChangsha410082P. R. China
| | - Chao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle BodyCollege of Mechanical and Vehicle EngineeringHunan UniversityChangsha410082P. R. China
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23
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Matthews DG, Zhu R, Wang J, Dong H, Bart-Smith H, Lauder G. Role of the caudal peduncle in a fish-inspired robotic model: how changing stiffness and angle of attack affects swimming performance. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:066017. [PMID: 36206750 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac9879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In fish, the tail is a key element of propulsive anatomy that contributes to thrust during swimming. Fish possess the ability to alter tail stiffness, surface area and conformation. Specifically, the region at the base of the tail, the caudal peduncle, is proposed to be a key location of fish stiffness modulation during locomotion. Most previous analyses have focused on the overall body or tail stiffness, and not on the effects of changing stiffness specifically at the base of the tail in fish and robotic models. We used both computational fluid dynamics analysis and experimental measurements of propulsive forces in physical models with different peduncle stiffnesses to analyze the effect of altering stiffness on the tail angle of attack and propulsive force and efficiency. By changing the motion program input to the tail, we were able to alter the phase relationship between the front and back tail sections between 0° and 330°. Computational simulations showed that power consumption was nearly minimized and thrust production was nearly maximized at the kinematic pattern whereφ= 270°, the approximate phase lag observed in the experimental foils and in free swimming tuna. We observed reduced thrust and efficiency at high angles of attack, suggesting that the tail driven during these motion programs experiences stalling and loss of lift. However, there is no single peduncle stiffness that consistently maximizes performance, particularly in physical models. This result highlights the fact that the optimal caudal peduncle stiffness is highly context dependent. Therefore, incorporating the ability to control peduncle stiffness in future robotic models of fish propulsion promises to increase the ability of robots to approach the performance of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Matthews
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 20138, United States of America
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 20138, United States of America
| | - Ruijie Zhu
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Junshi Wang
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Haibo Dong
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Hilary Bart-Smith
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - George Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 20138, United States of America
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 20138, United States of America
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24
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van den Berg SC, Scharff RB, Rusák Z, Wu J. OpenFish: Biomimetic design of a soft robotic fish for high speed locomotion. HARDWAREX 2022; 12:e00320. [PMID: 35694325 PMCID: PMC9178345 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2022.e00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
We present OpenFish: an open source soft robotic fish which is optimized for speed and efficiency. The soft robotic fish uses a combination of an active and passive tail segment to accurately mimic the thunniform swimming mode. Through the implementation of a novel propulsion system that is capable of achieving higher oscillation frequencies with a more sinusoidal waveform, the open source soft robotic fish achieves a top speed of 0.85 m / s . Hereby, it outperforms the previously reported fastest soft robotic fish by 27 % . Besides the propulsion system, the optimization of the fish morphology played a crucial role in achieving this speed. In this work, a detailed description of the design, construction and customization of the soft robotic fish is presented. Hereby, we hope this open source design will accelerate future research and developments in soft robotic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander C. van den Berg
- Department of Sustainable Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Rob B.N. Scharff
- Bioinspired Soft Robotics Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Zoltán Rusák
- Department of Sustainable Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Sustainable Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands
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25
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Liao X, Zhou C, Zou Q, Wang J, Lu B. Dynamic Modeling and Performance Analysis for a Wire-Driven Elastic Robotic Fish. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3197911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocun Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianqian Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ben Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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26
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Jian X, Zou T. A Review of Locomotion, Control, and Implementation of Robot Fish. J INTELL ROBOT SYST 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10846-022-01726-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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27
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Zhang JD, Sung HJ, Huang WX. Hydrodynamic interaction of dorsal fin and caudal fin in swimming tuna. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:066004. [PMID: 35896094 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac84b8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tuna, which are known for high-performance swimming, possess a large crescent dorsal fin (DF) and a caudal fin (CF) that differ from those of other fishes. The hydrodynamic interaction between the DF and CF in tuna, which are represented by two tandem 3D flapping plates, is numerically explored in the present study. Hydrodynamic properties and wake structures of the models with and without a DF are compared to investigate the effects of the DF. The thrust on the CF is substantially enhanced by the DF, whereas the force on the DF is not affected by the CF. The constructive interaction between the leading-edge vortex (LEV) on the CF and the vortices shed from the dorsal fin (DFVs) is identified from 3D wake topology and 2D vorticity distributions. The circulation of spanwise vorticity quantitatively reveals that the LEV on the CF is strengthened by the same-signed DFV. The effect of the flapping phase of the CF is examined. The DF-CF interaction is sensitive to the flapping phase at a short spacing, whereas a long spacing between the two fins enables a robust constructive interaction in tuna swimming. A systematic study is carried out to explore the effects of the Strouhal number (St) and the Reynolds number (Re) on the interaction of the fins. The enhancement of thrust due to the DF is diminished at St = 0.63, whereas the Re does not substantially influence the constructive DF-CF interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Duo Zhang
- AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Wei-Xi Huang
- AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
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Yu K, Feng Z, Du H, Lee KH, Li K, Zhang Y, Masri SF, Wang Q. Constructive adaptation of 3D-printable polymers in response to typically destructive aquatic environments. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac139. [PMID: 36741439 PMCID: PMC9896903 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In response to environmental stressors, biological systems exhibit extraordinary adaptive capacity by turning destructive environmental stressors into constructive factors; however, the traditional engineering materials weaken and fail. Take the response of polymers to an aquatic environment as an example: Water molecules typically compromise the mechanical properties of the polymer network in the bulk and on the interface through swelling and lubrication, respectively. Here, we report a class of 3D-printable synthetic polymers that constructively strengthen their bulk and interfacial mechanical properties in response to the aquatic environment. The mechanism relies on a water-assisted additional cross-linking reaction in the polymer matrix and on the interface. As such, the typically destructive water can constructively enhance the polymer's bulk mechanical properties such as stiffness, tensile strength, and fracture toughness by factors of 746% to 790%, and the interfacial bonding by a factor of 1,000%. We show that the invented polymers can be used for soft robotics that self-strengthen matrix and self-heal cracks after training in water and water-healable packaging materials for flexible electronics. This work opens the door for the design of synthetic materials to imitate the constructive adaptation of biological systems in response to environmental stressors, for applications such as artificial muscles, soft robotics, and flexible electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunhao Yu
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Zhangzhengrong Feng
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Haixu Du
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Kyung Hoon Lee
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Ketian Li
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Yanchu Zhang
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sami F Masri
- Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Similarity Evaluation Rule and Motion Posture Optimization for a Manta Ray Robot. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10070908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The current development of manta ray robots is usually based on functional bionics, and there is a lack of bionic research to enhance the similarity of motion posture. To better exploit the characteristics of bionic, a similarity evaluation rule is constructed herein by a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm to guide the optimization of the control parameters of a manta ray robot. The Central Pattern Generator (CPG) network with time and space asymmetry oscillation characteristics is improved to generate coordinated motion control signals for the robot. To optimize similarity, the CPG network is optimized with the genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization (GAPSO) to solve the problems of multiple parameters, high non-linearity, and uncertain parameter coupling in the CPG network. The experimental results indicate that the similarity between the forward motion pose of the optimized manta ray robot and the manta ray is improved to 88.53%.
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Uddin MI, Garcia GA, Curet OM. Force scaling and efficiency of elongated median fin propulsion. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:046004. [PMID: 35366647 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac6375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Several fishes swim by undulating a thin and elongated median fin while the body is mostly kept straight, allowing them to perform forward and directional maneuvers. We used a robotic vessel with similar fin propulsion to determine the thrust scaling and efficiency. Using precise force and swimming kinematics measurements with the robotic vessel, the thrust generated by the undulating fin was found to scale with the square of the relative velocity between the free streaming flow and the wave speed. A hydrodynamic efficiency is presented based on propulsive force measurements and modelling of the power required to oscillate the fin laterally. It was found that the propulsive efficiency has a broadly high performance versus swimming speed, with a maximum efficiency of 75%. An expression to calculate the swimming speed over wave speed was found to depend on two parameters:Ap/Ae(ratio between body frontal area to fin swept area) andCD/Cx(ratio of body drag to fin thrust coefficient). The models used to calculate propulsive force and free-swimming speed were compared with experimental results. The broader impacts of these results are discussed in relation to morphology and the function of undulating fin swimmers. In particular, we suggest that the ratio of fin and body height found in natural swimmers could be due to a trade-off between swimming efficiency and swimming speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad I Uddin
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States of America
| | - Gonzalo A Garcia
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States of America
| | - Oscar M Curet
- Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States of America
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31
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Design and implementation of a swimming robot with pectoral fins only. ROBOTICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0263574722000406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The use of swimming robots has increased widely in recent years due to the need of using them in situations where human intervention is difficult or not allowed. Exploring depths of seas, military interventions, or entering areas where the amount of water pollution is high that may threaten the lives of divers. In such cases, the best alternative for humans is to use swimming robots. This paper presents a swimming robot based on Labriform swimming mode. First, it starts with an analytical study of the effect of the fins shape on the performance of a robotic fish. The suggested design of the pectoral fins is concave. The effect of such a design would help largely in achieving the highest thrust in comparison to flat designs provided in the literature. Secondly, a variation in the velocity between the power and recovery strokes is accomplished and a maximum thrust can be obtained when the velocity of the power stroke is three times the velocity of recovery stroke. Thirdly, the kinematics and dynamics of the swimming robot are derived and an evaluation of the total hydrodynamic forces that are exerted on the robot’s body is studied via the computational fluid dynamics method from SOLIDWORKS® platform. Finally, the obtained results are compared to other designs in the literature in terms of some dimensionless numbers of biological fish to examine the efficiency. The proposed design has been validated theoretically and examined experimentally. The results of the simulation and practical experiments confirmed the validity of the design.
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32
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Lauder GV. Robotics as a Comparative Method in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac016. [PMID: 35435223 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative biologists have typically used one or more of the following methods to assist in evaluating the proposed functional and performance significance of individual traits: comparative phylogenetic analysis, direct interspecific comparison among species, genetic modification, experimental alteration of morphology (for example by surgically modifying traits), and ecological manipulation where individual organisms are transplanted to a different environment. But comparing organisms as the endpoints of an evolutionary process involves the ceteris paribus assumption: that all traits other than the one(s) of interest are held constant. In a properly controlled experimental study, only the variable of interest changes among the groups being compared. The theme of this paper is that the use of robotic or mechanical models offers an additional tool in comparative biology that helps to minimize the effect of uncontrolled variables by allowing direct manipulation of the trait of interest against a constant background. The structure and movement pattern of mechanical devices can be altered in ways not possible in studies of living animals, facilitating testing hypotheses of the functional and performance significant of individual traits. Robotic models of organismal design are particularly useful in three arenas: (1) controlling variation to allow modification only of the trait of interest, (2) the direct measurement of energetic costs of individual traits, and (3) quantification of the performance landscape. Obtaining data in these three areas is extremely difficult through the study of living organisms alone, and the use of robotic models can reveal unexpected effects. Controlling for all variables except for the length of a swimming flexible object reveals substantial non-linear effects that vary with stiffness. Quantification of the swimming performance surface reveals that there are two peaks with comparable efficiency, greatly complicating the inference of performance from morphology alone. Organisms and their ecological interactions are complex, and dissecting this complexity to understand the effects of individual traits is a grand challenge in ecology and evolutionary biology. Robotics has great promise as a "comparative method," allowing better-controlled comparative studies to analyze the many interacting elements that make up complex behaviors, ecological interactions, and evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- George V Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Lu B, Zhou C, Wang J, Fu Y, Cheng L, Tan M. Development and Stiffness Optimization for a Flexible-Tail Robotic Fish. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2021.3134748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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34
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Performance Improvement of a High-Speed Swimming Robot for Fish-Like Leaping. IEEE Robot Autom Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1109/lra.2022.3142409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Abstract
Fishes have evolved different excellent swimming strategies. To study the influence of tail fin swing on the swimming performance of bionic robot fish, with one joint under the same tail swing frequency and amplitude, we designed a novel robot fish, driven by a double-cam mechanism. By designing the profile of the cam in the mechanism, the robot fish can achieve different undulatory motion trajectory of the caudal fin under the same tail swing frequency and amplitude. The mechanism simulated the undulatory motion of crucian carp. We studied the influence of undulatory motion on the swimming speed of robot fish, which was analyzed by dynamic analysis of the undulatory motion and experiments. According to the experimental results, we can find that the swimming speed of the robotic fish is different under various wave motions. When other conditions are the same, the speed that the robot fish can achieve by imitating the swing motion of the real fish is 1.5 times that of the robot fish doing the cycloid motion. The experimental results correspond to the kinetic analysis results. Furthermore, it is proven that the robot fish with a low caudal peduncle stiffness swims faster under a low swinging frequency, and the speed of a robot fish with a high caudal peduncle stiffness is higher under a high tail swinging frequency.
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36
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Experimental Research on the Coupling Relationship between Fishtail Stiffness and Undulatory Frequency. MACHINES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/machines10030182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Fish can swim in a variety of states. For example, they look flexible and perform low-frequency undulatory locomotion when cruising, but they seem very powerful and stiff and perform high-frequency undulatory when hunting. In the process of changing the motion state, the stiffness of the fish body affects the swimming performance of the fish. In this article, we imitated the change of stiffness by superimposing rubber sheets and used experimental methods to test its swimming performance under different swing frequencies. A series of rubber fish tails were made according to the analysis of the swimming movement of real fish, providing different stiffness values and changing the curves of the body. In the prototype experiments, the base of the fish tail was fixed to a platform via a force sensor, which can oscillate at various speeds, so that the fish tail was able to swing and the thrust could be tested at different frequencies. According to the experimental results, we found that with the change of the swing frequency, there were different optimal stiffnesses that could make the thrust reach the maximum value, and with the increase of stiffness, the envelope interval of the swing curve gradually widened, the amplitude increased, and the hysteresis of the tail fin relative to the end decreased.
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Wang X, Shi Y, Yang P, Tao X, Li S, Lei R, Liu Z, Wang ZL, Chen X. Fish-Wearable Data Snooping Platform for Underwater Energy Harvesting and Fish Behavior Monitoring. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107232. [PMID: 35122467 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Conventional approaches to studying fish kinematics pose a great challenge for the real-time monitoring of fish motion kinematics. Here, a multifunctional fish-wearable data snooping platform (FDSP) for studying fish kinematics is demonstrated based on an air sac triboelectric nanogenerator (AS-TENG) with antibacterial coating. The AS-TENG not only can harvest energy from fish swimming but also serves as the self-powered sensory module to monitor the swimming behavior of the fish. The peak output power generated from each swing of the fishtail can reach 0.74 mW, while its output voltage can reflect the real-time behavior of the fishtail. The antibacterial coating on the FDSP can improve its biocompatibility and the elastic texture of the FDSP allows it to be tightly attached to fish. The wireless communication system is designed to transmit the sensory data to a cell phone, where the detailed parameters of fish motion can be obtained, including swing angle, swing frequency, and even the typical swing gestures. This FDSP has broad application prospects in underwater self-powered sensors, wearable tracking devices, and soft robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingling Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yuxiang Shi
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Peng Yang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xinglin Tao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Shuyao Li
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Rui Lei
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoqi Liu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhong Lin Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Energy and Sensor, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China
- College of Nanoscience and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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38
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Modeling, Trajectory Analysis and Waypoint Guidance System of a Biomimetic Underwater Vehicle Based on the Flapping Performance of Its Propulsion System. ELECTRONICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/electronics11040544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The performance of biomimetic underwater vehicles directly depends on the correct design of their propulsion system and its control. These vehicles can attain highly efficient motion, hovering and thrust by properly moving part(s) of their bodies. In this article, a mathematical modeling and waypoint guidance system for a biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicle (BAUV) is proposed. The BAUV achieves sideways and dorsoventral thunniform motion by flapping its caudal fin through a parallel mechanism. Also, an analysis of the vehicle’s design is presented. A thrust analysis was performed based on the novel propulsion system. Furthermore, the vehicle’s kinematics and dynamic models were derived, where hydrodynamic equations were obtained as well. Computed models were validated using simulations where thrust and moment analysis was employed to visualize the vehicle’s performance while swimming. For the path tracking scheme, a waypoint guidance system was designed to correct the vehicle’s direction toward several positions in space. To accurately obtain waypoints, correction over the propeller’s flapping frequency and bias was employed to achieve proper thrust and orientation of the vehicle. The results from numerical simulations showed how by incorporating this novel propulsion strategy, the BAUV improved its performance when diving and maneuvering based on the dorsoventral and/or sideways configuration of its swimming mode. Furthermore, by designing proper strategies to regulate the flapping performance of its caudal fin, the BAUV followed the desired trajectories. The efficiency for the designed strategy was obtained by comparing the vehicle’s traveled distance and ideal scenarios of straight-line trajectories between targets. During simulations, the designed guidance system presented an efficiency of above 80% for navigation tasks.
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39
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Liu S, Wang Y, Li Z, Jin M, Ren L, Liu C. A fluid-driven soft robotic fish inspired by fish muscle architecture. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:026009. [PMID: 35026734 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac4afb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Artificial fish-like robots developed to date often focus on the external morphology of fish and have rarely addressed the contribution of the structure and morphology of biological muscle. However, biological studies have proven that fish utilize the contraction of muscle fibers to drive the protective flexible connective tissue to swim. This paper introduces a pneumatic silicone structure prototype inspired by the red muscle system of fish and applies it to the fish-like robot named Flexi-Tuna. The key innovation is to make the fluid-driven units simulate the red muscle fiber bundles of fish and embed them into a flexible tuna-like matrix. The driving units act as muscle fibers to generate active contraction force, and the flexible matrix as connective tissue to generate passive deformation. Applying alternant pressure to the driving units can produce a bending moment, causing the tail to swing. As a result, the structural design of Flexi-Tuna has excellent bearing capacity compared with the traditional cavity-type and keeps the body smooth. On this basis, a general method is proposed for modeling the fish-like robot based on the independent analysis of the active and passive body, providing a foundation for Flexi-Tuna's size design. Followed by the robot's static and underwater dynamic tests, we used finite element static analysis and fluid numerical simulation to compare the results. The experimental results showed that the maximum swing angle of the tuna-like robot reached 20°, and the maximum thrust reached 0.185 N at the optimum frequency of 3.5 Hz. In this study, we designed a unique system that matches the functional level of biological muscles. As a result, we realized the application of fluid-driven artificial muscle to bionic fish and expanded new ideas for the structural design of flexible bionic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijia Liu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingjie Wang
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhennan Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Miao Jin
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Ren
- School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Chunbao Liu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, People's Republic of China
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40
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Youssef SM, Soliman M, Saleh MA, Mousa MA, Elsamanty M, Radwan AG. Underwater Soft Robotics: A Review of Bioinspiration in Design, Actuation, Modeling, and Control. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13010110. [PMID: 35056275 PMCID: PMC8778375 DOI: 10.3390/mi13010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nature and biological creatures are some of the main sources of inspiration for humans. Engineers have aspired to emulate these natural systems. As rigid systems become increasingly limited in their capabilities to perform complex tasks and adapt to their environment like living creatures, the need for soft systems has become more prominent due to the similar complex, compliant, and flexible characteristics they share with intelligent natural systems. This review provides an overview of the recent developments in the soft robotics field, with a focus on the underwater application frontier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M. Youssef
- Smart Engineering Systems Research Center (SESC), Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt;
- Correspondence:
| | - MennaAllah Soliman
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt; (M.S.); (M.A.S.); (A.G.R.)
| | - Mahmood A. Saleh
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt; (M.S.); (M.A.S.); (A.G.R.)
| | - Mostafa A. Mousa
- Nile University’s Innovation Hub, Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt;
| | - Mahmoud Elsamanty
- Smart Engineering Systems Research Center (SESC), Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt;
- Mechanical Department, Faculty of Engineering at Shoubra, Benha University, Cairo 11672, Egypt
| | - Ahmed G. Radwan
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nile University, Sheikh Zayed City 12588, Egypt; (M.S.); (M.A.S.); (A.G.R.)
- Department of Engineering Mathematics and Physics, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
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41
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Schwab F, Wiesemüller F, Mucignat C, Park YL, Lunati I, Kovac M, Jusufi A. Undulatory Swimming Performance Explored With a Biorobotic Fish and Measured by Soft Sensors and Particle Image Velocimetry. Front Robot AI 2022; 8:791722. [PMID: 35071335 PMCID: PMC8778575 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.791722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the difficulty of manipulating muscle activation in live, freely swimming fish, a thorough examination of the body kinematics, propulsive performance, and muscle activity patterns in fish during undulatory swimming motion has not been conducted. We propose to use soft robotic model animals as experimental platforms to address biomechanics questions and acquire understanding into subcarangiform fish swimming behavior. We extend previous research on a bio-inspired soft robotic fish equipped with two pneumatic actuators and soft strain sensors to investigate swimming performance in undulation frequencies between 0.3 and 0.7 Hz and flow rates ranging from 0 to 20c m s in a recirculating flow tank. We demonstrate the potential of eutectic gallium-indium (eGaIn) sensors to measure the lateral deflection of a robotic fish in real time, a controller that is able to keep a constant undulatory amplitude in varying flow conditions, as well as using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to characterizing swimming performance across a range of flow speeds and give a qualitative measurement of thrust force exerted by the physical platform without the need of externally attached force sensors. A detailed wake structure was then analyzed with Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) to highlight different wave modes present in the robot's swimming motion and provide insights into the efficiency of the robotic swimmer. In the future, we anticipate 3D-PIV with DMD serving as a global framework for comparing the performance of diverse bio-inspired swimming robots against a variety of swimming animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Schwab
- Locomotion in Biorobotic and Somatic Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Fabian Wiesemüller
- Aerial Robotics Lab (ARL), Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Materials and Technology Center of Robotics, EMPA, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Mucignat
- Laboratory for Multiscale Studies in Building Physics, EMPA, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yong-Lae Park
- Soft Robotics and Bionics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ivan Lunati
- Laboratory for Multiscale Studies in Building Physics, EMPA, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Kovac
- Aerial Robotics Lab (ARL), Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Materials and Technology Center of Robotics, EMPA, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ardian Jusufi
- Locomotion in Biorobotic and Somatic Systems Group, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
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Quinn D, Lauder G. Tunable stiffness in fish robotics: mechanisms and advantages. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 17:011002. [PMID: 34814125 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac3ca5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
One of the emerging themes of fish-inspired robotics is flexibility. Adding flexibility to the body, joints, or fins of fish-inspired robots can significantly improve thrust and/or efficiency during locomotion. However, the optimal stiffness depends on variables such as swimming speed, so there is no one 'best' stiffness that maximizes efficiency in all conditions. Fish are thought to solve this problem by using muscular activity to tune their body and fin stiffness in real-time. Inspired by fish, some recent robots sport polymer actuators, adjustable leaf springs, or artificial tendons that tune stiffness mechanically. Models and water channel tests are providing a theoretical framework for stiffness-tuning strategies that devices can implement. The strategies can be thought of as analogous to car transmissions, which allow users to improve efficiency by tuning gear ratio with driving speed. We provide an overview of the latest discoveries about (1) the propulsive benefits of flexibility, particularlytunableflexibility, and (2) the mechanisms and strategies that fish and fish-inspired robots use to tune stiffness while swimming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Quinn
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
- Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - George Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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43
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Convergence of undulatory swimming kinematics across a diversity of fishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2113206118. [PMID: 34853171 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113206118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishes exhibit an astounding diversity of locomotor behaviors from classic swimming with their body and fins to jumping, flying, walking, and burrowing. Fishes that use their body and caudal fin (BCF) during undulatory swimming have been traditionally divided into modes based on the length of the propulsive body wave and the ratio of head:tail oscillation amplitude: anguilliform, subcarangiform, carangiform, and thunniform. This classification was first proposed based on key morphological traits, such as body stiffness and elongation, to group fishes based on their expected swimming mechanics. Here, we present a comparative study of 44 diverse species quantifying the kinematics and morphology of BCF-swimming fishes. Our results reveal that most species we studied share similar oscillation amplitude during steady locomotion that can be modeled using a second-degree order polynomial. The length of the propulsive body wave was shorter for species classified as anguilliform and longer for those classified as thunniform, although substantial variability existed both within and among species. Moreover, there was no decrease in head:tail amplitude from the anguilliform to thunniform mode of locomotion as we expected from the traditional classification. While the expected swimming modes correlated with morphological traits, they did not accurately represent the kinematics of BCF locomotion. These results indicate that even fish species differing as substantially in morphology as tuna and eel exhibit statistically similar two-dimensional midline kinematics and point toward unifying locomotor hydrodynamic mechanisms that can serve as the basis for understanding aquatic locomotion and controlling biomimetic aquatic robots.
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Paniccia D, Padovani L, Graziani G, Piva R. The performance of a flapping foil for a self-propelled fishlike body. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22297. [PMID: 34785731 PMCID: PMC8595632 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01730-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Several fish species propel by oscillating the tail, while the remaining part of the body essentially contributes to the overall drag. Since in this case thrust and drag are in a way separable, most attention was focused on the study of propulsive efficiency for flapping foils under a prescribed stream. We claim here that the swimming performance should be evaluated, as for undulating fish whose drag and thrust are severely entangled, by turning to self-propelled locomotion to find the proper speed and the cost of transport for a given fishlike body. As a major finding, the minimum value of this quantity corresponds to a locomotion speed in a range markedly different from the one associated with the optimal efficiency of the propulsor. A large value of the feathering parameter characterizes the minimum cost of transport while the optimal efficiency is related to a large effective angle of attack. We adopt here a simple two-dimensional model for both inviscid and viscous flows to proof the above statements in the case of self-propelled axial swimming. We believe that such an easy approach gives a way for a direct extension to fully free swimming and to real-life configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Paniccia
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
| | - Luca Padovani
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Graziani
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Renzo Piva
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
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45
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Wenguang S, Gang W, Feiyang Y, Siqi W, Qiao Z, Kuang W, Pan F, Yu J, Li W. A biomimetic fish finlet with a liquid metal soft sensor for proprioception and underwater sensing. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:065007. [PMID: 34450601 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac220f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Finlets have a unique overhanging structure at the back, similar to a flag. They are located between the dorsal/anal fin and the caudal fin on the sides of the body. Until now, the sensing ability of finlets has not been well understood. In this paper, we design and manufacture a biomimetic soft robotic finlet (48.5 mm long, 30 mm high) with mechanosensation based on printed stretchable liquid metal sensors. The robotic finlet's posterior fin ray can achieve side-to-side movement orthogonal to the anterior fin ray. A flow sensor encapsulating a liquid metal sensor network enables the biomimetic finlets to sense the direction and flow intensity. The stretchable liquid metal sensors mounted on micro-actuators are utilized to perceive the swing motion of the fin ray. We found that the finlet prototype can sense the flapping amplitudes and frequency of the fin ray. The membrane between the two orthogonal fin rays can amplify the sensor output. Our results indicate that the overhanging structure endows the biomimetic finlet with the ability to sense external stimuli from stream-wise, lateral and vertical directions. We further demonstrate, through digital particle image velocimetry experiments, that the finlet can detect a Kármán vortex street. This study lays the foundations for exploring the environmental perception of biological fish fins and provides a new approach for the perception of complex flow environments by future underwater robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Wenguang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Gang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Feiyang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Siqi
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Qiao
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Kuang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Pan
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Junzhi Yu
- The State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, BIC-ESAT, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
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46
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Chen B, Jiang H. Body Stiffness Variation of a Tensegrity Robotic Fish Using Antagonistic Stiffness in a Kinematically Singular Configuration. IEEE T ROBOT 2021. [DOI: 10.1109/tro.2021.3049430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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47
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Schwaner MJ, Hsieh ST, Braasch I, Bradley S, Campos CB, Collins CE, Donatelli CM, Fish FE, Fitch OE, Flammang BE, Jackson BE, Jusufi A, Mekdara PJ, Patel A, Swalla BJ, Vickaryous M, McGowan CP. Future Tail Tales: A Forward-Looking, Integrative Perspective on Tail Research. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:521-537. [PMID: 33999184 PMCID: PMC8680820 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synopsis Tails are a defining characteristic of chordates and show enormous diversity in function and shape. Although chordate tails share a common evolutionary and genetic-developmental origin, tails are extremely versatile in morphology and function. For example, tails can be short or long, thin or thick, and feathered or spiked, and they can be used for propulsion, communication, or balancing, and they mediate in predator-prey outcomes. Depending on the species of animal the tail is attached to, it can have extraordinarily multi-functional purposes. Despite its morphological diversity and broad functional roles, tails have not received similar scientific attention as, for example, the paired appendages such as legs or fins. This forward-looking review article is a first step toward interdisciplinary scientific synthesis in tail research. We discuss the importance of tail research in relation to five topics: (1) evolution and development, (2) regeneration, (3) functional morphology, (4) sensorimotor control, and (5) computational and physical models. Within each of these areas, we highlight areas of research and combinations of long-standing and new experimental approaches to move the field of tail research forward. To best advance a holistic understanding of tail evolution and function, it is imperative to embrace an interdisciplinary approach, re-integrating traditionally siloed fields around discussions on tail-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Schwaner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - S T Hsieh
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - I Braasch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - S Bradley
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C B Campos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - C E Collins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - C M Donatelli
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - F E Fish
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA
| | - O E Fitch
- Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - B E Flammang
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - B E Jackson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Longwood University, Farmville, VA 23909, USA
| | - A Jusufi
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - P J Mekdara
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - A Patel
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
| | - B J Swalla
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - M Vickaryous
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C P McGowan
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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Sharifzadeh M, Jiang Y, Lafmejani AS, Nichols K, Aukes D. Maneuverable gait selection for a novel fish-inspired robot using a CMA-ES-assisted workflow. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:056017. [PMID: 34284354 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac165d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Among underwater vehicles, fish-inspired designs are often selected for their efficient gaits; these designs, however, remain limited in their maneuverability, especially in confined spaces. This paper presents a new design for a fish-inspired robot with two degree-of-freedom pectoral fins and a single degree-of-freedom caudal fin. This robot has been designed to operate in open-channel canals in the presence of external disturbances. With the complex interactions of water in mind, the composition of goal-specific swimming gaits is trained via a machine learning workflow in which automated trials in the lab are used to select a subset of potential gaits for outdoor trials. The goal of this process is to minimize the time cost of outdoor experimentation through the identification and transfer of high-performing gaits with the understanding that, in the absence of complete replication of the intended target environment, some or many of these gaits must be eliminated in the real world. This process is motivated by the challenge of balancing the optimization of complex, high degree-of-freedom robots for disturbance-heavy, random, niche environments against the limitations of current machine learning techniques in real-world experiments, and has been used in the design process as well as across a number of locomotion goals. The key contribution of this paper involves finding strategies that leverage online learning methods to train a bio-inspired fish robot by identifying high-performing gaits that have a consistent performance both in the laboratory experiments and the intended operating environment. Using the workflow described herein, the resulting robot can reach a forward swimming speed of 0.385 m s-1(0.71 body lengths per second) and can achieve a near-zero turning radius.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sharifzadeh
- The Polytechnic School, Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States of America
| | - Yuhao Jiang
- Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States of America
| | - Amir Salimi Lafmejani
- Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States of America
| | - Kevin Nichols
- The Polytechnic School, Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States of America
| | - Daniel Aukes
- The Polytechnic School, Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States of America
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49
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Zhong Q, Quinn DB. Streamwise and lateral maneuvers of a fish-inspired hydrofoil. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:056015. [PMID: 34352733 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac1ad9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fish are highly maneuverable compared to human-made underwater vehicles. Maneuvers are inherently transient, so they are often studied via observations of fish and fish-like robots, where their dynamics cannot be recorded directly. To study maneuvers in isolation, we designed a new kind of wireless carriage whose air bushings allow a hydrofoil to maneuver semi-autonomously in a water channel. We show that modulating the hydrofoil's frequency, amplitude, pitch bias, and stroke speed ratio (pitching speed of left vs right stroke) produces streamwise and lateral maneuvers with mixed effectiveness. Modulating pitch bias, for example, produces quasi-steady lateral maneuvers with classic reverse von Kármán wakes, whereas modulating the stroke speed ratio produces sudden yaw torques and vortex pairs like those observed behind turning zebrafish. Our findings provide a new framework for considering in-plane maneuvers and streamwise/lateral trajectory corrections in fish and fish-inspired robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
| | - Daniel B Quinn
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States of America
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50
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Thandiackal R, Melo K, Paez L, Herault J, Kano T, Akiyama K, Boyer F, Ryczko D, Ishiguro A, Ijspeert AJ. Emergence of robust self-organized undulatory swimming based on local hydrodynamic force sensing. Sci Robot 2021; 6:6/57/eabf6354. [PMID: 34380756 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abf6354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Undulatory swimming represents an ideal behavior to investigate locomotion control and the role of the underlying central and peripheral components in the spinal cord. Many vertebrate swimmers have central pattern generators and local pressure-sensitive receptors that provide information about the surrounding fluid. However, it remains difficult to study experimentally how these sensors influence motor commands in these animals. Here, using a specifically designed robot that captures the essential components of the animal neuromechanical system and using simulations, we tested the hypothesis that sensed hydrodynamic pressure forces can entrain body actuation through local feedback loops. We found evidence that this peripheral mechanism leads to self-organized undulatory swimming by providing intersegmental coordination and body oscillations. Swimming can be redundantly induced by central mechanisms, and we show that, therefore, a combination of both central and peripheral mechanisms offers a higher robustness against neural disruptions than any of them alone, which potentially explains how some vertebrates retain locomotor capabilities after spinal cord lesions. These results broaden our understanding of animal locomotion and expand our knowledge for the design of robust and modular robots that physically interact with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Thandiackal
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA
| | - Kamilo Melo
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,KM-RoBoTa Sàrl, Renens, Switzerland
| | - Laura Paez
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Auke J Ijspeert
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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