Using Morphological Intelligence in Robotic Designs of Elongated Swimmers

The integration of morphological intelligence into machine design holds significant promise across diverse domains, encompassing animal locomotion, marine vehicle design, robotics, and energy harvesting. To advance toward this goal, we develop and calibrate a coupled fluid-structure interaction model that focuses on long slender swimming. This model incorporates M. J. Lighthill's Large Amplitude Elongated Body Theory and employs structural dynamics with a nonlinear viscoelastic beam model. The calibration of this theoretical model is accomplished by comparing it with experimental thrust results obtained from a robotic swimmer with its head clamped in a water-filled tank. With the calibrated model in hand, we gain valuable insights into embodying morphological intelligence in free-swimming scenarios. Moreover, we propose an optimized tail design that maximizes peak thrust while considering actuation constraints.