PuffyBot: An Untethered Shape Morphing Robot for Multi-environment Locomotion

TL;DR

PuffyBot is a versatile, untethered shape-morphing robot inspired by amphibians, capable of transitioning between terrestrial and aquatic locomotion modes through a novel mechanism and buoyancy control.

Contribution

This work introduces PuffyBot, a novel untethered robot with shape morphing capabilities for multi-environment locomotion, combining a scissor-lift mechanism with waterproof design.

Findings

Demonstrated crawling and swimming in multiple environments

Achieved volume change from 255 to 424 cm3 for buoyancy control

Operates untethered for two hours with onboard battery

Abstract

Amphibians adapt their morphologies and motions to accommodate movement in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Inspired by these biological features, we present PuffyBot, an untethered shape morphing robot capable of changing its body morphology to navigate multiple environments. Our robot design leverages a scissor-lift mechanism driven by a linear actuator as its primary structure to achieve shape morphing. The transformation enables a volume change from 255.00 cm3 to 423.75 cm3, modulating the buoyant force to counteract a downward force of 3.237 N due to 330 g mass of the robot. A bell-crank linkage is integrated with the scissor-lift mechanism, which adjusts the servo-actuated limbs by 90 degrees, allowing a seamless transition between crawling and swimming modes. The robot is fully waterproof, using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fabric to ensure functionality in aquatic environments. The robot can operate untethered for two hours with an onboard battery of 1000 mA h. Our experimental results demonstrate multi-environment locomotion, including crawling on the land, crawling on the underwater floor, swimming on the water surface, and bimodal buoyancy adjustment to submerge underwater or resurface. These findings show the potential of shape morphing to create versatile and energy efficient robotic platforms suitable for diverse environments.