DEVELOPMENT OF MANTA RAY INSPIRED FISH ROBOT WITH EMBODIED SENSING FOR EFFICIENT UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT MONITORING

Аннотация

INTRODUCTION one of the least explored [1]. The ocean contains The ocean covers more than 70% of the earth’s diverse ecosystems and vital resources important surface making it very vast and large but remains for planet’s health and human survival. To https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajet 24 THE USA JOURNALS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (ISSN – 2689-0984) VOLUME 06 ISSUE12 understand marine life, studying impacts of compliant materials. These materials are climate change, monitoring underwater analogous to ones found in living sea creatures [2]. environment is crucial [3]. In the past ocean By using such materials, robot’s flexibility exploration was done by direct human adaptability and degree of freedom increases. Soft involvement through diving and manned robots are designed to move, crawl, swim and get submersibles. However, these methods were used to surrounding the way natural sea livings are limited by depth, duration and safety concerns. doing. The advancement in technology introduced new Traditional hard robots such as AUVs and ROVs advanced methods for underwater exploration, the have limitations in underwater monitoring due to methods include underwater vehicles used for their rigid structure, less degree of freedom, high studying underwater environments without direct power requirements and are less adaptable and human involvement. poses harm for marine ecosystem [19]. To address These technologies opened new ways for scientific these challenges flexible and adaptable soft robots research and environment monitoring. are required which can easily navigate through confined and complex environments due to their Underwater robots have become very important efficiency and maneuverability. Manta rays belong tools for ocean exploration. Underwater robots to the family Myliobatidae and are among the such as ROVs and AUVs are heavily used for largest species of sea. Manta rays are characterized environment monitoring, and they help in by their rigid, compressed and flat bodies from top gathering data from the ocean. These robots are to bottom, and large, expanded pectoral fins which equipped with sensors, cameras and sonar can reach spans of over 9 meters [5]. Manta ray’s systems to perform various ocean tasks and collect structure is like designed hydrofoil, and it helps critical information about underwater them to generate lift [10]. The fins of Manta rays environment autonomously. These traditional are flexible and allow them to produce thrust robots are precise and durable but due to their efficiently. Manta rays swimming pattern is bulky structure they face challenges in complex analogous to flight of birds, which involves conditions of the ocean. The disadvantages of these oscillation of fins and generate lift through robots such as less adaptability and rigid parts can upstroke and down stroke motion. Manta rays potentially harm marine ecosystem. swim by flapping their large pectoral fins and these Soft bio-inspired robots are now used over fins move in a wave-like motion, with a wave traditional extending from base of the fin to tip. Research robots for underwater monitoring due to their shows that initiation of both upstroke and down flexibility and adaptability [4]. They can navigate stroke happens at front base of fin and produces through complex and confined environments and waves that travel through fin to the wing [21]. can interact with diverse marine environments Swimming mechanics of manta ray is very complex more safely and effectively [2]. and highly efficient. Manta ray swim by flapping These robots also draw less power and produce their fins in vertical plane through upstroke and less noise than traditional robots. Soft bio-inspired down stroke. The flexibility in their pectoral fins robots take inspiration from real-life aquatic plays an important role in swimming mechanics of animals and mimic their movements such as manta rays. Manta rays are known as one of the swimming pattern, design and ae made of soft and efficient swimmers in ocean due to their unique https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajet 25 THE USA JOURNALS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (ISSN – 2689-0984) VOLUME 06 ISSUE12 swimming pattern and large pectoral fins. soft robots inspired by Manta ray’s. After Research shows that propulsive efficiency of conducting study, we analyzed a graph that we manta rays can as be high as 89% [21]. extracted from a research paper which helps in studying Manta ray’s swimming movements. Using Manta rays have efficient swimming mechanics TRACKING software, we studied movements of and unique structural features that make them a Manta ray and ensured the graph matched our good model for biomimicry. Bio-inspiration can be results from the software. taken, and their wave-like motion of fins can be replicated to design bio-inspired soft robots for After extracting features, our next step involved underwater monitoring. Studyin