A multi-mode biomimetic amphibious robot

Abstract

This paper addresses the design scheme of a multi-mode amphibious biomimetic robot inspired by amphibians, as well as preliminary development of the robotic prototype. The robot is capable of both fish-like swimming and dolphin-like one under water, in which a swivelling body device is responsible for switching between them. Meanwhile, for ground-based movements, the introduction of the flippers or wheel-paddle structure not only make AmphiRobot crawl or roll like a wheeled vehicle, but also make the robot more manuverable in water. On the basis of the sensing system, a intelligent strategy switching motion modes between land and water is proposed, which makes robot operate on ground and in water freely and agilely.