Analytical structural optimization and experimental verifications for traveling wave generation in self-assembling swimming smart boxes

Abstract

This paper presents vibration analysis and structural optimization of a swimming–morphing structure. The swimming of the structure is achieved by utilization of piezoelectric patches to generate traveling waves. The third mode shape of the structure in the longitudinal direction resembles the body waveform of a swimming eel. After swimming to its destination, the morphing structure changes shape from an open box to a cube using shape memory alloys (SMAs). The SMAs used for the configuration change of the box robot cannot be used for swimming since they fail to operate at high frequencies. Piezoelectric patches are actuated at the third natural frequency of the structure. We optimize the thickness of the panels and the stiffness of the springs at the joints to generate swimming waveforms that most closely resemble the body waveform of an eel. The traveling wave is generated using two piezoelectric sets of patches bonded to the first and last segments of the beams in the longitudinal direction. Excitation of the piezoelectric results in coupled system dynamics equations that can be translated into the generation of waves. Theoretical analysis based on the distributed parameter model is conducted in this paper. A scalar measure of the traveling to standing wave ratio is introduced using a 2-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FFT) of the body deformation waveform. An optimization algorithm based on tuning the flexural transverse wave is established to obtain a higher traveling to standing wave ratio. The results are then compared to common methods in the literature for assessment of standing to traveling wave ratios. The analytical models are verified by the close agreement between the traveling waves predicted by the model and those measured in the experiments.