Analysis of swimming patterns of diving beetles incorporating robotics

Abstract

In the paper, swimming patterns of diving beetles were analyzed in viewpoint of robotics. After modeling the kinematics of diving beetle through robotics engineering technique, we calculated optimal swimming pattern corresponding maximal drag force along a desired direction, and then compared the calculated swimming pattern with the one of living diving beetles. Experimental environment has been set up to get the motion data of diving beetles. The experimental equipment consists of a transparent aquarium and a high speed camera. Various motions of diving beetles were recorded with the camera. After classifying swimming patterns of the diving beetle, we can get angular data of each joint on hind leg by image processing software, Image J. The data were applied to an optimized algorithm for swimming of a robot leg which was designed by robotics engineering technique. Through this procedure, simulated results which show trajectories of a robot leg were compared with trajectories of a leg of a diving beetle in desired directions. As a result, we confirmed considerable similarity in the result of trajectory and joint angles comparison.