Novel performance evaluation index and optimization system for swimming robot: leaning from natural fish

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17641
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fluid engineering; Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (2018); Chiba University (2017)
• Principal Investigator: LI Gen 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 数理科学・先端技術研究分野, ポストドクトラル研究員 (00774035)
• Research Collaborator: Leeuwen Johan van ワーヘニンゲン大学 ; Thiria Benjamin ESPCI ; Godoy-Diana Ramiro ESPCI ; Liu Hao 千葉大学 ; Muller Ulrike カリフォルニア州立大学フレズノ校 ; Kolomenskiy Dmitry 海洋研究開発機構
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 遊泳エネルギー最適化 / 生物規範流体力学 / 遊泳ロボット / 魚類遊泳 / 計算流体力学 / 波動的な遊泳

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research constructed a system to estimate and optimize the swimming performance of natural fish and artificial swimming robot.By applying 3D print, a micro swimming robot controlled by magnet-field is designed and developed. An integrated solver including ‘hydrodynamic solution’, ‘structure-solution’ and ‘dynamic solution’ is developed. Based on robot experiment, the integrated solver is evaluated and improved.The swimming performance of natural fish under various frequencies and tail-beat amplitudes are tested by simulations. A few novel mechanisms of undulatory swimming are revealed, and the means to minimize the cost of transport is discovered. To optimize the swimming performance of artificial fish-like swimming robot, a control approach as follows is suggested: a specific tail amplitude should be maintained, while using frequency as the control parameter to adjust speed.

Free Research Field

計算流体力学、生物規範工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は物理学、解析力学、生命科学など多分野に貢献できる．異なる機能を持つ生物規範型の遊泳ロボットが災害救助、資源探索、医療等の領域において活躍することが期待されている．本研究は、合理的な遊泳性能評価基準を確立し、遊泳性能の最適化制御方法を発見し、我々がより自然界における生物運動の理解を深め、生物規範型の人工物の設計理念を変える．更に、本研究は磁場で制御する生物規範の小型遊泳ロボットの設計・製作をし、様々な機能を搭載することが可能であることから、医学領域等への応用も期待される．先進的な計算流体力学ソルバを開発し、理論研究と工業応用に流体力学の解析に大きな役割を果たすことが期待できる．