Design and Implementation of a Magnetically Actuated Miniature Robotic Fish

Abstract

At present, most of bio-inspired robotic fish are designed with large sizes and actuated by electric motors. In this paper, an 89-mm-long robotic fish is designed and built, which is capable of swimming fast and turning flexibly. This miniature robotic fish is intended to be used as a tool for animal behavioral research and special underwater missions. Compared with traditional design, the propulsion system is characterized by no motor, which is a magnetic actuator. Bluetooth low energy is utilized for remote control, allowing convenient operation via smart devices. By means of law of electromagnetic induction, the relationship between current and magnetic induction intensity is explored. Further, a novel tail-beat rhythm for magnetic actuator is proposed. Meanwhile, a dynamic modeling of fishlike swimming is constructed based on a Lagrange approach to analyze its propulsive performance. Finally, aquatic experiments verify the effectiveness of the formulated magnetically actuated design scheme along with the conducted theoretical analyses.