Multifunctional Underwater Soft Robots: A Simulation Essay

Abstract

Abstract Underwater soft robotics is receiving growing popularity within the scientific community, thanks to its prospective capability of tackling challenges that are hard to deal with using traditional rigid technologies, especially while interacting with an unstructured environment. Recently, we proposed a multi-module underwater robotic system with deformable propellers, inspired by bacteria morphology [1]. Here, the same bio-inspired modular structure is employed to perform manipulation tasks, in order to design a multi-functional integrated system. Employing the Geometric Variable Strain Approach, we simulate a scenario where the flagellated robot moves towards a preferred target and, using the same soft appendages, it hooks to it, simulating a monitoring task. The modeling approach and the design allow the Embodied Intelligence principles to exploit the robot’s surrounding environment (water), the shape of the grip-target and the robot’s compliant nature to mediate effective navigation and safe interaction with the target, using few control inputs.