A resonant squid-inspired robot unlocks biological propulsive efficiency
A resonant squid-inspired robot unlocks biological propulsive efficiency
Elasticity has been linked to the remarkable propulsive efficiency of pulse-jet animals such as the squid and jellyfish, but reports that quantify the underlying dynamics or demonstrate its application in robotic systems are rare. This work identifies the pulse-jet propulsion mode used by these animals as a coupled mass-spring-mass oscillator, enabling the design of a flexible self-propelled robot. We use this system to experimentally demonstrate that resonance greatly benefits pulse-jet swimming speed and efficiency, and the robot’s optimal cost of transport is found to match that of the most efficient biological swimmers in nature, such as the jellyfish Aurelia aurita. The robot also exhibits a preferred Strouhal number for efficient swimming, thereby bridging the gap between pulse-jet propulsion and established findings in efficient fish swimming. Extensions of the current robotic framework to larger amplitude oscillations could combine resonance effects with optimal vortex formation to further increase propulsive performance and potentially outperform biological swimmers altogether.
Bujard, Thierry
045fee4e-d554-4d5e-840d-209f656a2c0f
Giorgio-Serchi, Francesco
8571dc14-19c1-4ed1-8080-d380736a6ffa
Weymouth, Gabriel
b0c85fda-dfed-44da-8cc4-9e0cc88e2ca0
20 January 2021
Bujard, Thierry
045fee4e-d554-4d5e-840d-209f656a2c0f
Giorgio-Serchi, Francesco
8571dc14-19c1-4ed1-8080-d380736a6ffa
Weymouth, Gabriel
b0c85fda-dfed-44da-8cc4-9e0cc88e2ca0
Bujard, Thierry, Giorgio-Serchi, Francesco and Weymouth, Gabriel
(2021)
A resonant squid-inspired robot unlocks biological propulsive efficiency.
Science Robotics, 6 (50), [eabd2971].
(doi:10.1126/scirobotics.abd2971).
Abstract
Elasticity has been linked to the remarkable propulsive efficiency of pulse-jet animals such as the squid and jellyfish, but reports that quantify the underlying dynamics or demonstrate its application in robotic systems are rare. This work identifies the pulse-jet propulsion mode used by these animals as a coupled mass-spring-mass oscillator, enabling the design of a flexible self-propelled robot. We use this system to experimentally demonstrate that resonance greatly benefits pulse-jet swimming speed and efficiency, and the robot’s optimal cost of transport is found to match that of the most efficient biological swimmers in nature, such as the jellyfish Aurelia aurita. The robot also exhibits a preferred Strouhal number for efficient swimming, thereby bridging the gap between pulse-jet propulsion and established findings in efficient fish swimming. Extensions of the current robotic framework to larger amplitude oscillations could combine resonance effects with optimal vortex formation to further increase propulsive performance and potentially outperform biological swimmers altogether.
Text
Science_Robotics_2020
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 23 December 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 January 2021
Published date: 20 January 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research award N62909-18-1-2091 NERC award NE/P003966/1 and the Alan Turing Institute.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works
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Local EPrints ID: 446581
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/446581
ISSN: 2470-9476
PURE UUID: 26c17e3c-b855-4ec6-aec3-d168081c831c
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Date deposited: 15 Feb 2021 17:32
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:32
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Author:
Thierry Bujard
Author:
Francesco Giorgio-Serchi
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