Design Considerations and Preliminary Verification of a Flying-fish-inspired Robot
摘要
Many aquatic species exhibit the extraordinary ability to leap out of water, with flying-fish being a prime example, capable of gliding impressive distances through the air after breaching the surface. Inspired by this remarkable mode of locomotion, researchers have pursued innovative designs for amphibious robots capable of seamlessly traversing the water-air interface. In this study, we present the development of an untethered bioinspired flying-fish robot actuated by the reciprocating motion of its caudal fin. The robot features retractable and rotatable pectoral fins on both sides, allowing active pitch control during submerged swimming. To enhance propulsion performance, we developed a dynamic model that describes the coupled head-tail beating motion and conducted a numerical optimization of the beating angles using FLUENT simulation. The results indicate that increasing the tail beating angle substantially boosts thrust albeit at the cost of greater lateral force, whereas increasing the head beating angle slightly reduces thrust while exerting minimal influence on lateral force. An optimal configuration, consisting of a 15