Jellyfish-inspired multimodular bionic amphibious robot

Abstract

To make the amphibious robot have a lot of functions while keeping the overall structure relatively simple, this paper proposes a multimodule bionic amphibious robot (MMBAR) inspired by the movement mode of jellyfish. The MMBAR consists of four modules, which are connected by snaps, and can be assembled quickly. The wing–leg structure suitable for swimming in the water is designed, which combines the legs and wings using a flexible hinge. Meanwhile, the integrated design principle is adopted to combine the wing–leg structure with the wheel structure to design a deformable wheel suitable for land movement. The overall structure of the MMBAR is simple, and the wing–legs can be deformed to perform a variety of functions, such as acting as a wheel for land movement, as a claw for grasping objects, and as a propulsion mechanism to power the MMBAR for swimming. Theoretical modeling and simulation analyses are conducted separately for the MMBAR on land and in water, which helps understand the movement characteristics of the MMBAR and to obtain more optimized movement parameters. In addition, we conducted experiments on the MMBAR, such as climbing slopes, climbing steps, walking on snow, swimming in water, grasping objects, and so forth, which confirm that the MMBAR possesses a strong ability to adapt to the environment. These research results add new content to the research of amphibious robots, which are expected to replace humans to fulfill more dangerous jobs.