Underwater biomimetic robots have the advantage of extraordinary maneuverability and high propulsive efficiency, which can be widely applied to many aquatic related applications. Biological dolphin features high mobility high flexibility that draws great attention and interests from academics and engineers all over the world. As a branch of underwater biomimetic robot, robotic fish and dolphin have received a great deal of attention, and a growing number of scholars and institutes begin to engage in the related investigations. A series of robotic prototypes with different functions and actuation have been developed. On the basis of previous work on robotic dolphin, this paper presents a new type of robotic dolphin, with focus on the mechanical design and control method. Firstly, based on the previous work on robotic dolphin, a novel robotic dolphin with modular drive mechanisms is proposed. A slider-crank centered mechanism is adopted in the modular propelling mechanism. Two propelling mechanism are serially connected to form a two-joint robotic dolphin. Three design schemes with different drive systems are compared and the advantages and disadvantages of the cam mechanism, the slider-crank mechanism and the worm and worm gear mechanism are outlined. Then the concrete design steps for constructing a robotic prototype are given. Secondly, a design scheme driven by the combine of DC motors with servo motors is presented. More specifically, a two-joint flapping mechanism is driven by two DC motors, while a turning unit and an up-and-down mechanism are driven by servomotors. By means of continuous rotation of the DC motor in one direction, the fast swimming of robotic dolphin is implemented, maximizing the efficiency of the used DC motor. Thirdly, according to the propulsive principle of the multi-joint robotic dolphin, an ARM9 (S3C2440) centered control board is developed. With proper modifications in the uboot1.0.0, a suitable bootloader is tailored for a specific function. Two drive modes are further designed: one is driven by the RS232 bus, the other is driven by the CAN bus. According to the control task of robotic dolphin, a multi-modal control is programmed. Additionally, the console is designed to accomplish motion control and parameter adjustment. Fourthly, with the well-developed robotic dolphin prototype, the control board as well as the control algorithms, a series of experiments have been carried out underwater. At present, a multitude of swim...
修改评论