Bio-inspired Flow Sensing and Control: Autonomous Rheotaxis Using Distributed Pressure Measurements

Abstract

Abstract—This paper presents ongoing work toward the design and use of an artificial lateral-line system for a bio-inspired underwater vehicle capable of various navigation tasks enabled by flow-sensing information. We describe the results of flow-sensing and control experiments using a bio-inspired autonomous robot to achieve rheotaxis, which is the natural tendency of fish to orient upstream. We first implemented a feedback controller based on differencing pressure measurements on opposite sides of the fish robot. We also experimentally validated theoretical results for the Bayesian estimation of flow speed and angle-of-attack (orientation) by assimilating pressure measurements into a two-dimensional potential-flow model. I.