抄録
The goal of this study is to develop a buoyancy control device for underwater robots based on the hypothesis on the buoyancy control mechanism of sperm whales. This mechanism utilizes volume change caused by phase changes of materials. In this paper, we report a new piston type buoyancy control device using a two-step piston. Paraffin wax filled in the device was cooled by pertier elements and heated by them and a nichrome wire, resulting in volume change. We conducted experiments and confirmed that the proposed mechanism could cause the amount of buoyancy change.
