Geometric Design and Gait Co-Optimization for Soft Continuum Robots Swimming at Low and High Reynolds Numbers

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Yang, Yanhao, Hatton, Ross L.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Yang, Yanhao
Hatton, Ross L.
author_facet Yang, Yanhao
Hatton, Ross L.
contents Recent advancements in soft actuators have enabled soft continuum swimming robots to achieve higher efficiency and more closely mimic the behaviors of real marine animals. However, optimizing the design and control of these soft continuum robots remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we present a practical framework for the co-optimization of the design and control of soft continuum robots, approached from a geometric locomotion analysis perspective. This framework is based on the principles of geometric mechanics, accounting for swimming at both low and high Reynolds numbers. By generalizing geometric principles to continuum bodies, we achieve efficient geometric variational co-optimization of designs and gaits across different power consumption metrics and swimming environments. The resulting optimal designs and gaits exhibit greater efficiencies at both low and high Reynolds numbers compared to three-link or serpenoid swimmers with the same degrees of freedom, approaching or even surpassing the efficiencies of infinitely flexible swimmers and those with higher degrees of freedom.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_15220
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geometric Design and Gait Co-Optimization for Soft Continuum Robots Swimming at Low and High Reynolds Numbers
Yang, Yanhao
Hatton, Ross L.
Robotics
Recent advancements in soft actuators have enabled soft continuum swimming robots to achieve higher efficiency and more closely mimic the behaviors of real marine animals. However, optimizing the design and control of these soft continuum robots remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we present a practical framework for the co-optimization of the design and control of soft continuum robots, approached from a geometric locomotion analysis perspective. This framework is based on the principles of geometric mechanics, accounting for swimming at both low and high Reynolds numbers. By generalizing geometric principles to continuum bodies, we achieve efficient geometric variational co-optimization of designs and gaits across different power consumption metrics and swimming environments. The resulting optimal designs and gaits exhibit greater efficiencies at both low and high Reynolds numbers compared to three-link or serpenoid swimmers with the same degrees of freedom, approaching or even surpassing the efficiencies of infinitely flexible swimmers and those with higher degrees of freedom.
title Geometric Design and Gait Co-Optimization for Soft Continuum Robots Swimming at Low and High Reynolds Numbers
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15220