Chu Yichen, Wang Yahui, Fu Yanhui, Ma Mingxu, Zhong Yunan, Yu Tianbiao
School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.
Beijing Lindong Bionic Science and Technology Limited Company, Beijing 100080, China.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 Jul 30;10(8):498. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10080498.
Underwater propulsion systems are the fundamental functional modules of underwater robotics and are crucial in intricate underwater operational scenarios. This paper proposes a biomimetic underwater robot propulsion scheme that is motivated by the hindlimb movements of the bullfrog. A multi-linkage mechanism was developed to replicate the "kicking-and-retracting" motion of the bullfrog by employing motion capture systems to acquire biological data on their hindlimb movements. The FDM 3D printing and PC board engraving techniques were employed to construct the experimental prototype. The prototype's biomimetic and motion characteristics were validated through motion capture experiments and comparisons with a real bullfrog. The biomimetic bullfrog hindlimb propulsion system was tested with six-degree-of-freedom force experiments to evaluate its propulsion capabilities. The system achieved an average thrust of 2.65 N. The effectiveness of motor drive parameter optimization was validated by voltage comparison experiments, which demonstrated a nonlinear increase in thrust as voltage increased. This design approach, which transforms biological kinematic characteristics into mechanical drive parameters, exhibits excellent feasibility and efficacy, offering a novel solution and quantitative reference for underwater robot design.
水下推进系统是水下机器人的基本功能模块，在复杂的水下作业场景中至关重要。本文提出了一种受牛蛙后肢运动启发的仿生水下机器人推进方案。通过采用运动捕捉系统获取牛蛙后肢运动的生物数据，开发了一种多连杆机构来复制牛蛙的“踢腿-缩回”运动。采用熔融沉积成型（FDM）3D打印和印刷电路板雕刻技术构建了实验原型。通过运动捕捉实验以及与真实牛蛙的比较，验证了该原型的仿生和运动特性。通过六自由度力实验对仿生牛蛙后肢推进系统进行测试，以评估其推进能力。该系统实现了2.65 N的平均推力。通过电压比较实验验证了电机驱动参数优化的有效性，实验表明随着电压增加，推力呈非线性增加。这种将生物运动学特征转化为机械驱动参数的设计方法具有出色的可行性和有效性，为水下机器人设计提供了一种新颖的解决方案和定量参考。
