Design, Modelling and Control of an Underwater Flagellate Vehicle Exploiting Passive Elasticity

Abstract

In this thesis, we propose to design, model and control a soft-bodied, bioinspired, underwater robot that can provide manipulation, locomotion and intervention in unstructured marine ecosystems and underwater industrial installations. The main innovative component of the robotic system is a flagellate-inspired elastic propulsor, composed of an electric motor connected to a propelling filament using a curved hook structure. This design provides a safe, robust and adaptable alternative to traditional rigid propellers while being suitable for locomotion as well as manipulation tasks. The complete robotics system will be equipped with underwater sensors to achieve a safe and reliable interaction with the environment, including ship and submarine hulls, and offshore oil/gas pipeline. In this thesis report, the research is introduced and a general literature review on underwater robot propulsion systems is presented, followed by the designing, fabricating and testing processes explained in detail. Lastly, the experimental test results are presented and discussed.

Date of Award	Dec 2019
Original language	American English