抄録
The shape and swimming method of fish vary in accordance with their environment and fish have high maneuverability in water. It is believed that studies on how fish swim can suggest a new effective propulsion method for underwater vehicles and robots, and that various types of fish type robots using new propulsion methods may contribute to ocean observations, developments and environmental protection.
This paper deals with development of a motion mechanism for fish type robot using an artificial muscle. A motion mechanism composed of a shape-memory alloy and an elastic plate is proposed for fish type robots and the characteristics of the motion mechanism are examined by model experiments. Additionally a fish type robot using the motion mechanism is developed and the swimming performance is tested in an experiment tank. The motion of the fish type robot is analyzed using motion picture taken by a digital video camera. And motion of the robot is expressed by a numerical model. The effectiveness of developed motion mechanism is examined based on the experimental results.
