Bioinspired Smart Swimming Robots

Led by Erik Engeberg, Ph.D.

Exciting discoveries of new lifeforms, structures, and resources in the ocean are the inspiration for technological advances to deeply explore this frontier of science. Conventional swimming robots are made from rigid materials and have limitations with mobility, motion planning, and intelligence. To overcome some of these challenges, this REU summer project will focus on the design and control of bioinspired soft swimming robots equipped with wireless communication, video cameras, and a suite of motion sensors. Swimming propulsion will be generated by compliant hydraulic network actuators, which could yield tremendous advantages in maneuverability and efficiency. However, motion control of bioinspired soft swimming robots is an unconquered challenge for robotics engineers. Thus, this project will explore machine learning techniques for control of bioinspired soft actuators to create smart swimming robots. We anticipate that intelligent bioinspired robots could be an effective tool for studying aquatic life and ocean ecosystems in the future, to enable responsible stewardship of our precious ocean environments.

REU students accepted into this program will be taught cutting edge techniques in bioinspired soft robotic actuators and machine learning tools in one of two potential research tracks. In the first research track option, students will have the opportunity to design, build and evaluate their own bioinspired soft swimming robots. In a second research track option, students will use a pre-built soft robot to focus on using sensors for AI and control of the robot.