Approximated Generalized Torques by the Hydrodynamic Forces Acting on Legs of an Underwater Walking Robot

Abstract

In this paper, we present the concept and main mission of the Crabster, an underwater walking robot. The main focus is on the modeling of drag and lift forces on the legs of the robot, which comprise the main difference in dynamic characteristics between on-land and underwater robots. Drag and lift forces acting on the underwater link are described as a function of the relative velocity of the link with respect to the fluid using the strip theory. Using the translational velocity of the link as the rotational velocity of the joint, we describe the drag force as a function of joint variables. Generalized drag torque is successfully derived from the drag force as a function of generalized variables and its first derivative, even though the arm has a roll joint and twist angles between the joints. To verify the proposed model, we conducted drag torque simulations using a simple Selective Compliant Articulated Robot Arm.