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Bio-inspired actuating system for swimming using shape memory alloy composites

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Abstract

The paper addresses the designs of a caudal peduncle actuator, which is able to furnish a thrust for swimming of a robotic fish. The caudal peduncle actuator is based on concepts of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy (FSMA) composite and hybrid mechanism that can provide a fast response and a strong thrust. The caudal peduncle actuator was inspired by Scomber Scombrus which utilises thunniform mode swimming, which is the most efficient locomotion mode evolved in the aquatic environment, where the thrust is generated by the lift-based method, allowing high cruising speeds to be maintained for a long period of time. The morphology of an average size Scomber Scombrus (length in 310 mm) was investigated, and a 1:1 scale caudal peduncle actuator prototype was modelled and fabricated. The propulsive wave characteristics of the fish at steady speeds were employed as initial design objectives. Some key design parameters are investigated, i.e. aspect ratio (AR) (AR = 3.49), Reynolds number (Re = 429 649), reduced frequency (σ = 1.03), Strouhal number (St = 0.306) and the maximum strain of the bent tail was estimated at ε = 1.11% which is in the range of superelasticity. The experimental test of the actuator was carried out in a water tank. By applying 7 V and 2.5 A, the actuator can reach the tip-to-tip rotational angle of 85° at 4 Hz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Intelligent Materials and Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, BOX 352600, Seattle, WA, 98195-26, USA

    Tao Tao, Yuan-Chang Liang & Minoru Taya

Authors
  1. Tao Tao
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  2. Yuan-Chang Liang
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  3. Minoru Taya
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Correspondence to Tao Tao.

Additional information

Tao Tao is pursuing his M.Eng. degree in mechanical engineering from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Bristol, UK. He has spent a year abroad as an international exchange scholar at University of Washington (U.W.), Seattle, USA for 2005/2006. As he is studying in U.W., he has been working as a research assistant in Centre for Intelligent Materials and Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering, U.W.

His research interests include bio-inspired modeling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys (FSMA), and Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

Yuan-Chang Liang received his M.Sc degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, Bethlehem in 1998 and the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from University of Washington in 2002. He is currently working as a research associate in the Center for Intelligent Materials and Systems at University of Washington, Seattle. He has been studying smart materials such as shape memory alloy (SMA) and ferromagnetic SMA.

His current research interests include intelligent materials and their applications including bio-inspired actuations.

Minoru Taya received his M.Sc degree in civil engineering and the Ph.D. degree in theoretical applied mechanics both from Northwestern University in 1973 and 1977, respectively. He taught at the University of Delaware as an assistant and associate professor from 1978–1985. He has been a professor of Mechanical Engineering, and adjunct professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington since 1986. He has had visiting appointments at the University of Oxford, UK, Risø National Laboratory, Denmark, University of Tokyo, and Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, Japan. During 1989–1991 he was a professor of Materials Systems, Department of Materials Processing, Tohoku University, Japan, where he supervised a number of research projects on processing composites. He is currently running a Center for Intelligent Materials and Systems (CIMS) as director, where he is involved in supervising a number of projects related to intelligent materials and systems.

His research interests include two major areas: 1) electronic packaging and composites, and 2) smart materials. In the former, he is working on designing, processing, characterizing a set of new electronic composites with emphasis on high thermal conductivity materials, while the materials in the latter area are piezoelectric composites, shape memory alloys and polymer gels which exhibit small to larger strain in this order under applied thermal and electromagnetic field. The smart materials are the key materials for high performance actuators, ranging from MEMS to artificial muscles.

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Tao, T., Liang, YC. & Taya, M. Bio-inspired actuating system for swimming using shape memory alloy composites. Int J Automat Comput 3, 366–373 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-006-0366-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11633-006-0366-4

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