Underwater Labriform-swimming Robot

This book provides a simplified description of how to design an underwater swimming robot, inspired by the mechanism of the Labriform mode of fish. This style of swimming depends on the pectoral fins only as a main locomotor for movement. A unique model with fins having a concave shape allows the highest thrust force to be achieved during the power period and the lowest drag force during the recovery period, especially if the velocity values between the powering and recovery periods are manipulated. Besides the ability to swim quickly, the proposed model was also inspired by a method of maneuvering based on the principle of differential drive for two-wheel mobile robot, achieving the minimum turning radius by controlling the speed of the rowing fins. Also, by applying the technique of the diving model used by gliders, the robot achieves underwater gliding by changing the center of the body's mass. Thus, the robot obtains the ability to dive and float in a manner similar to the Sawtooth wave. All the mentioned tasks were conducted via laboratory experiments and proven to be both effective and efficient.