A Miniature Underwater Robot Inspired by the Movement of Tadpoles

Abstract

It is believed that the extraordinary propulsion performance of aquatic animals originates from wave-like body movements. To be specific, they rely on body and/or tail fin (BCF) propulsion to allow swimming to perform more effective movement at higher speeds and accelerations. From the perspective of bionics, a growing number of scientists have proposed soft prototype robot. This study introduces the design, manufacture and characterization of a magnetically controlled soft tadpole-like robot, which is propelled by BCF. The robot with a body length of 20 mm exhibits excellent motion performance, with the speed of 12.6 mm/s under 12 Hz time-varying magnetic field. This article also discusses the propulsion mechanism of the tadpole-like robot, which provides clues for the design of the bionic underwater robot for latecomers.