Most of our usual robotics uses for the movement of the pneumatic devices or electric motors. But much more effective would be to develop a design like muscles. And if similar technologies for ground robots is still far from complete, then implement a similar system for underwater robots can now. This is what has made engineers robotics company Festo. Their robot, dubbed BionicFinWave uses the same principle of movement and underwater animals, and, in recognition of the developers, the robot’s motion more similar to how sea creatures moved “hundreds of thousands of years ago.”
Robot BionicFinWave has integral fins, made of soft silicone plastic. And to move used 2 servo. The “body” of the robot, like marine animals, are able to bend, and the robot can move not only forward or backward, and generally in any direction: to change the depth of the dive, rotate, and so on. Notable is also that BionicFinWave a fully Autonomous robot. He does not need cables or power cables. Battery charge lasts for a few hours and controlled remotely from shore, ship or submarine.
However, despite a lot of interesting finds, BionicFinWave – it is rather a prototype and not a finished device. The fact that Festo rarely “carry” their achievements. Other companies can take design elements and create their robots, which can be used to observe underwater flora and fauna, and for reconnaissance and rescue missions.
BionicFinWave: underwater robot “from the distant past”
Vladimir Kuznetsov