Simulation Study for Propulsion Mechanism Imitating Bending Motion of Organisms in Water. Swimming Snake's Bending Motion.

Abstract

The application of dynamics in the living organism to the field of engineering is very instructive. To make an artificial bending wave propulsion mechanism, a simulation study of propulsion mechanisms imitating the bending motion of organisms in water was carried out. As the bending motion, a swimming snake's motion was employed. The bending wave of the organism was changed into a construction of the multilink mechanism. This simulation model was defined as the "multilink model". In addition, the simulation model based on the approximate theory of the organism's propulsion was defined as the "approximate organism model". This model is a prototype of the "multilink model". The thrust force and the swimming speed were calculated. The characteristics of the thrust force and the swimming speed with change in the frequency, the wave amplitude and the number of links were discussed.