Soft robots that are biologically inspired make a lot of sense in a lot of scenarios, but they have their limitations. The compliant structures can be difficult to move at the same speed as the more rigid ones. A team of researchers at North Carolina State University have found a way to speed up swimming.
It's a good idea to look towards the fish. The cousins of sharks are capable of flying through water. The researchers decided to name them after another animal. The resemblance of the butterfly bot's arms to those of humans is what makes them so special.
There were two different versions of the robot. The first was designed for speed, with the ability to move 3.74 body lengths per second, an increase over softrobots that struggle to move a single body length in that time. A second is designed for more control. The design makes an issue out of it. The team added a second drive train to turn the robot into a flying machine.
The paper's co-author, Jie Yin, says that marine animals are able to swim much faster and more efficiently than soft robot swimmers. To see if we could develop a faster, more energy efficient soft robot, we drew on the animal's body mechanics. We have developed work that is exceptional.
The pneumatic air tube system propels the system forward by bending the wings and fins. Most previous attempts to develop flapping robots have focused on using a motor to power the wings. Bistable wings are used in our approach. The difference is important because it allows for a simplified design.
The team is working on a robot that can swim.
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