Dynamic modeling of a soft robotic fish driven by dielectric elastomer based on the ANCF and IB-LBM

Abstract

Dielectric elastomer (DE) is an intelligent and pliable material that exhibits significant deformation when subjected to an electric field. It possesses attributes such as remarkable strain, exceptional energy density, rapid responsiveness, and minimal weight, making it uniquely advantageous in the propulsion of bionic fish. Due to the nonlinearity and large deformation characteristics of DEs, it is challenging to accurately describe their complex deformations. The absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) possesses notable advantages in precisely depicting phenomena entailing substantial deformation and displacement. This paper focuses on the study of a bionic robotic fish driven by dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) based on body/caudal fin (BCF) propulsion, wherein the fish body is delineated as a laminated beam structure. By combining the ANCF higher-order beam element with the DE constitutive model and the neo-Hookean hyperelastic constitutive model, the dynamic equations of the laminated beam are derived. The interaction between the bionic fish and the fluid is effectively handled through the implementation of the immersed boundary - lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM), and by combining ANCF with IB-LBM, the dynamic responses of the fish under voltage excitation and fluid resistance are simulated and analyzed. This study would contribute to the exploration of the intricate mechanism behind the substantial amplitude motion of bionic robotic fish driven by DEAs, yielding valuable insights for further research endeavors.