空圧駆動海洋探査クラゲ型ロボットの作製

抄録

Various kinds of underwater exploration techniques have been developed. For instance, submersible research vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) have been used for observation of underwater conditions, in addition to the technique of fixed-point observation. However, such research vehicles and conventional AUV are difficult to control, are expensive, and are usually made with non-biodegradable materials such as metals. In contrast, jellyfish is the most efficient swimmers, traveling for long distance with saving energy by drifting in the ocean, its body can be decomposed after death, and safe for surrounding creatures. Therefore, we are developing the jellyfish-mimic AUV using a hydrogel. For designing a Jellyfish-mimic AUV robot, it is preferable to introduce a soft actuator driven by water pressure, as it requires low electric power and it is eco-friendly. In this study, we prototyped a Jellyfish-AUV robot using a soft material and a soft actuator. While it is ideal to make a robot body with hydrogel it is difficult to make the actuator with hydrogel.