The Experimental Realization of an Artificial Low-Reynolds-Number Swimmer with Three-Dimensional Maneuverability

Abstract

The motion of biological micro-robots - similar to that of swimming microorganisms such as bacteria or spermatozoa - is governed by different physical rules than what we experience in our daily life. This is particularly due to the low-Reynolds-number condition of swimmers in micron scales. The Quadroar swimmer, with three-dimensional maneuverability, has been introduced for moving in these extreme cases: either as a bio-medical micro-robot swimming in biological fluids or a mm-scale robot performing inspection missions in highly viscous fluid reservoirs. Our previous studies address the theoretical modeling of this type of swimmer system. In this work, we present the mechatronic design, fabrication, and experimental study of a mm-scale Quadroar swimmer. We describe the design methodology and component selection of the system based on the required performance. A supervisory control scheme is presented to achieve an accurate trajectory tracking for all the actuators used in the swimmer. Finally, we have conducted experiments in silicone oil (with 5000 cP viscosity) where two primary modes of swimming - forward translation and planar reorientation - have been tested and compared with the theoretical model.