Gliding Robotic Fish: An Underwater Sensing Platform and Its Spiral-Based Tracking in 3D Space

Abstract

Abstract Gliding robotic fish are a new type of underwater robot that combines the advantages of energy efficiency of underwater gliders and high maneuverability of robotic fish. Tail-enabled spiraling, as a novel locomotion pattern of gliding robotic fish, uses a buoyancy-driven mechanism and features a small turning radius. This paper investigates the spiral trajectory characteristics from the viewpoint of differential geometry and exploits them for curve tracking in the 3D space. The influences of control inputs on spiral trajectories are investigated through both simulation and experiments. A simulation example using a combined feedforward and feedback controller illustrates the proposed curve-tracking approach.