Implementation and depth control of an active-and-compliant propelled robot fish

Abstract

This paper introduces the implementation of an untethered biomimetic robot fish, and presents its depth control method. The robot fish is propelled by an active and compliant propulsion mechanism, cooperated with the pectoral fins, it is capable of three-dimensional locomotion. The descending and ascending motions are achieved through controlling the attack angle of the pectoral fins. To execute a simple task that the robot fish cruise at desired depth in water, fuzzy-based control is applied to the depth control of the robot fish. The depth is measured by a high-accuracy pressure sensor as the feedback information. The experimental results demonstrate that the given depth control method is effective for the robot fish.