Role of Morphology and Flexibility in Maneuvering for Fish and Bio-Inspired Marine Robots

In this paper we present a semi-analytical approach based on slender-body and Euler-Bernoulli beam theory to investigate the role of body morphology and flexibility in fish maneuvering via stability as a first research step towards gaining knowledge for use in future bio-inspired robotic design. Non-dimensional parameters representing the body morphology and fin lift showed that both the stable and unstable fin configuration, in addition to body shape, should be considered simultaneously during design of the robot to ensure targeted maneuverability characteristics. The role of flexibility and body morphology for tuna, sailfish and barracuda body shapes were examined. From these investigations it was found that for a flexible robot, its stiffness distribution and body morphology can be used to change stability.