SpineWave: Harnessing Fish Rigid-Flexible Spinal Kinematics for Enhancing Biomimetic Robotic Locomotion

TL;DR

SpineWave is a biomimetic robotic fish inspired by fish spine kinematics, using a rigid-flexible transition structure and evolutionary optimization to improve swimming performance for underwater applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces SpineWave, a novel fish-inspired robotic design with a rigid-flexible spine structure and optimized hydrodynamics, advancing biomimetic underwater robotics.

Findings

Enhanced swimming efficiency demonstrated in real-world tests

Robustness and adaptability for environmental monitoring

Significant hydrodynamic performance improvements

Abstract

Fish have endured millions of years of evolution, and their distinct rigid-flexible body structures offer inspiration for overcoming challenges in underwater robotics, such as limited mobility, high energy consumption, and adaptability. This paper introduces SpineWave, a biomimetic robotic fish featuring a fish-spine-like rigid-flexible transition structure. The structure integrates expandable fishbone-like ribs and adjustable magnets, mimicking the stretch and recoil of fish muscles to balance rigidity and flexibility. In addition, we employed an evolutionary algorithm to optimize the hydrodynamics of the robot, achieving significant improvements in swimming performance. Real-world tests demonstrated robustness and potential for environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and industrial inspection. These tests established SpineWave as a transformative platform for aquatic robotics.