Self-propulsion of Robotic Dolphin Based on Cooperative Kinematics of Superimposed Fin Module

Abstract

This paper proposes a robotic dolphin that relies on cooperative kinematics of superimposed fin module to achieve autonomous propulsion, and the feasibility is verified by numerical simulation. Dynamic grid technology and user-defined functions (UDF) are used to quantitatively study the kinematics of multi-fin cooperative work. The results show that under the condition of the same frequency, the superimposed fin module of pectoral fin assisted caudal fin propulsion is not conducive to improving the forward effect. After introducing the concept of frequency ratio, we found that the high-frequency swinging rigid pectoral fin can achieve a faster steady-state propulsion speed than the single-fin movement mode. The corresponding vortex contours can indirectly reveal the dynamic performance of the multi-fin movement.