SurferBot: a wave-propelled aquatic vibrobot

Nature has evolved a vast array of strategies for propulsion at the air-fluid interface. Inspired by a survival mechanism initiated by the honeybee (Apis mellifera) trapped on the surface of water, we present the SurferBot: a centimeter-scale vibrating robotic device that self-propels on a fluid surface. This low-cost and easily assembled device is capable of rectilinear motion thanks to forces arising from a wave-generated, unbalanced momentum flux, achieving speeds on the order of centimeters per second. In addition to a detailed description of the fluid mechanics underpinning the SurferBot propulsion, other modes of SurferBot locomotion will be presented. Ongoing and future applications of the SurferBot will be discussed including robotics, fluid mechanics pedagogy, and fundamental explorations of active and driven particles at fluid interfaces.