Development of Paleo-mimetic Underwater Biomimetic Robot.

Abstract

In this study, a biomimetic underwater robot based on fossil proportions was developed as a new proposal for a reconstruction drawing based on palaeontology. Drepanaspis, an extinct fish species from the Devonian period of the Palaeozoic era, was selected as the model organism because of the abundance of fossil specimens in Japan. The robot was designed and built based on the existing reconstruction of the species and the proportions of each part estimated from the measurement results of the actual fossil specimens. To evaluate the movement of the palaeontological species, the remote control by the radio wave and the autonomous operation were used as control methods, eliminating the need for tethers. Experiments at the simple swimming pool confirmed that the propulsion and the levitation were executed using the caudal fin.