Compact Swimming Robot with Continuum Water Jet Nozzle for Rapid Turns

Abstract

In this paper, a swimming robot capable of rapid turns not only horizontally but also vertically in an underwater environment is proposed. The robot utilizes a wire-driven continuum water jet nozzle, which can be oriented in an arbitrary direction and allows the robot to turn in a small radius. In this study, the deformation characteristics of the nozzle were first experimentally investigated, and the nozzle was then implemented in the robot. The performance of the robot was experimentally investigated in an underwater environment. The results indicated that it was capable of a high angular velocity, and could accomplish 180 degree turns within a tactical diameter that was smaller than its body length.