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R V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING®, BENGALURU- 59
(Autonomous Institution Affiliated to VTU, Belagavi)
MAJOR PROJECT REPORT
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FISH-BOT USING SMART ACTUATORS

TO IMPLEMENT MOTION MECHANISM FOR UNDERWATER
SURVEILLANCE
Submitted by:
B VENKATESH 1RV15AS011
CHANDRA PRAKASH 1RV15AS013
CHETAN V TALIKOTI 1RV15AS014
GOWTHAM REDDY G 1RV15AS021
Under the guidance of

Mr. PROMIO CHARLES
Assistant Professor
Department of Aerospace Engineering

R V College of Engineering, Bengaluru – 59
This report is presented as part of the requirements for the Evaluation of

Major Project for the degree:
Bachelor of Engineering
carried out at
Department of Aerospace Engineering

R V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING®,
BENGALURU-59
2018-19
R V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING®, BENGALURU-59
DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
CERTIFICATE
Certified that the major project work titled ‘Design And Analysis Of Fish-Bot Using Smart
Actuators To Implement Motion Mechanism For Underwater Surveillance’ is submitted by
B Venkatesh (1RV15AS011), Chandra Prakash (1RV15AS013), Chetan V Talikoti
(1RV15AS014) and Gowtham Reddy G (1RV15AS021) who are bonafide students of R V
College of Engineering®, Bengaluru-59 in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technical University,
Belagavi during the year 2018-2019. It is certified that all corrections / suggestions indicated for
the Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the report deposited in the departmental
library. The major project report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in
respect of work prescribed by the institution for the said degree.
Signature of Guide Signature of Head of Department Signature of Principal
Name of Examiners Signature with date
1.
2.
R V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING®, BENGALURU-59
DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
DECLARATION
We, B Venkatesh (1RV15AS011), Chandra Prakash (1RV15AS013), Chetan V Talikoti

(1RV15AS014) and Gowtham Reddy G (1RV15AS021) of the Department of Aerospace
Engineering RV College of Engineering, declare that this report is submitted in partial fulﬁlment
of the requirements for the evaluation of the Major Project at the Department of Aerospace
Engineering, is wholly our own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. This
document has not been submitted for qualiﬁcations at any other academic institution.
Place: Bengaluru
Date:
B Venkatesh
(1RV15AS011)
Chandra Prakash
(1RV15AS013)
Chetan V Talikoti
(1RV15AS014)
Goutham Reddy G
(1RV15AS021)
Fish-Bot
ABSTRACT
The aim of the project is to develop an under-water fish bot with certain degree of
maneuverable motion. The key area under focus is the hydrodynamics of the fish.
The project is based on the usage of the Macro Fibre Composites(MFC) which is a
piezoelectric actuator, for producing the required thrust to propel the fish under-water.
The intended applications are in the field of studying the migratory patterns and living
habits of Aquatic animals. This can be achieved by blending into the aquatic environ-
ment for data extraction using various sensors. Other applications include espionage
surveillance of foreign water-based vehicles with camouflage capability and Ship or
Plane Wreckage assistance. An essential advantage of using MFC actuators is that the
amount of noise generated is very less during its operation.
The project is divided into three major stages, viz; design, simulation & validation and
fabrication & testing. A crucial step involved while approaching the design process of
the fish bot is to estimate the thrust produced by the actuator under-water. The prob-
lem statement is divided into two sub cases, one of which is a structural part followed
by a hydrodynamic part. The maximum deflection produced by the actuator under-
water is estimated by using the piezoelectric simulation set-up in FEM based software.
This data is fed to the hydrodynamic environment and the thrust is found by carrying
out necessary simulations numerically followed by hand calculations. The total sur-
face area is decided using the thrust value by optimizing the shape iteratively based on
the coefficient of drag (depends on shape and surface area). The same has to be also
experimentally validated to formulate the relationship of the thrust with the various pa-
rameters of the actuators. Based on the validated design parameters from the thrust
estimation, the final bot is designed and fabricated.
A dual approach for meeting the intended objectives was conceived for the fabrica-
tion and testing of a Servo Actuated Fishbot that is hydrodynamically designed with
the intention to replicate the behavioral motion of natural aquatic fish. The perfor-
mance characteristics are extracted through various testing modules under-water, sub-
sequently the acquired values have been plotted and presented. It is ensured that the
flapping motion of the tail produces the required thrust to propel the bot by implement-
ing the concept derived from the Servo bot.
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE i 2018-2019

Fish-Bot
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is our pleasure to thank people who have helped and inspired us during the tenure
of graduation project work. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Prof.
Promio Charles, Professor, Aerospace Engineering, RVCE, Bangalore, our project
guide, for his constant support and guidance. This major project would not have been
possible without his guidance and motivation since the very beginning.
We would like to thank Dr. Ravindra S Kulkarni, Head of Department, Aerospace
Engineering for his constant support and suggestions. We are grateful to Dr. K N Sub-
ramanya, Principal, R. V. College of Engineering for his continuous support.
We would like to thank Prof. C. S Prasad, Prof. K. Ramachandra and Prof. S Srini-
vasan, for their suggestions provided during the review presentations.
We also extend our gratitude to Dr. S. Raja, Chief Scientist and Ashwin U, Sci-
entist, Dynamics & Adaptive Structures, Structural Technologies Division, National
Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India, who provided insight and expertise that
greatly assisted the present work.
We would like to thank the RVCE Solar Car Team for providing us with raw materials
and the required work-space to carry out the assembly.
We would like to thank all the staff of Aerospace Engineering along with Anurag C from
Department of Electronics and Communication, RVCE for providing us such timely
help and guidance and for their constant support throughout the Project.
Finally I thank each and everyone who has supported us in completing our work without
whom this work would have been merely possible.
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE ii 2018-2019

CONTENTS Fish-Bot
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT i
ACKNOWLEDGEMNT ii
CONTENTS iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS vi
LIST OF FIGURES ix
LIST OF TABLES x
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 Theory and Concepts 7

2.1 Introduction to smart materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Understanding Micro Fibre Composites(MFC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.1 Construction and working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 Selection of MFC for desired purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.1 Advantages of using MFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.2 Disadvantages of using MFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4 Operational modes of MFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.5 Validating and Selection of operational modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.5.1 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.6 Literature Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.7 Hydrodynamics of Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE iii 2018-2019

CONTENTS Fish-Bot
2.8 Forces Acting on Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

2.8.1 Cruise conditions of Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.8.2 Body-Caudal Fin Locomotion Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.9 Concept of Piezoelectric actuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3 Design and Implementation 23

3.1 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.2 Piezoelectric Modeling of Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3 Modal Analysis of Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4 Hydrodynamic Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4.1 Thrust Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.4.2 Numerical calculation of Thrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.4.3 Inference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.5 Experimental Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.6 Design Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.7 Design Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.8 Design Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.9 Design based Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.10 Design Drafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.11 Numerical based Torque calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.12 Coefficient of drag validation: Fluent simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.13 Propulsion Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4 Control Module 41
4.1 System Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2 Electronic Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.1 Arduino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.2 Bluetooth module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.2.3 Payload Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.2.4 Servo motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.2.5 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.3 Integration of Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5 Assembly and Testing 47
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE iv 2018-2019

CONTENTS Fish-Bot
5.1 Implementation and Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

5.1.1 Integration of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.2 Pre-test Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5.3 Cruise test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
5.4 Turn test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
6 Conclusions 55
6.1 Future work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
References 57
Appendix A 62
Appendix B 63
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE v 2018-2019

CONTENTS Fish-Bot
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS
Abbreviations Title
MFC Macro Fibre Composite
d33 Deflection in Z direction due voltage application in Z
direction
d31 Deflection in Z direction due voltage application in X
direction
PZT Lead zirconate titanate
Fmax Maximum blocking force
BC Boundary conditions
δ Deflection
F Deflection force
V Voltage
BCF Body Caudal Fin
MPF Median Pair Fin
ω f luid Frequency of vibration in fluid
ωvac Frequency of vibration in vaccum
FSI Fluid Structural Interaction
ρ Density
ρc Density in damping fluid
b Cross section width
h Thickness of cross-section
c Damping coefficient of fluid
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE vi 2018-2019

LIST OF FIGURES Fish-Bot
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: Ocean Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Figure 1.2: Ship or Plane Wreckage Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Figure 1.3: Fish Propulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 1.4: S-shape and C-shape swimming modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 1.5: Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Figure 2.1: Smart materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Figure 2.2: Smart Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 2.3: Schematic structure of the MFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Figure 2.4: MFC as elongator and contractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 2.5: 3 Working modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 2.6: MFC types and allignment of electrodes . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 2.7: Caudal fin attached to MFC actuator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 2.8: MIT Sofi bot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 2.9: Wire driven fish mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 2.10: Hydrodynamic parts of a fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 2.11: Swimming modes of a fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Figure 2.12: Forces on a Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 2.13: Components of thrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 2.14: Thrust distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 2.15: Reverse Von-Kármán Vortex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 2.16: Expansion and Contraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 2.17: Shear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 2.18: Bending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3.1: MFC vs Servo based bot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Figure 3.2: Generalized design methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE vii 2018-2019

Figure 3.3: Epoxy core(yellow) with MFC bonded at top and bottom . . . . 25
Figure 3.4: Boundary conditions on the Bi-Morph tail . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 3.5: First and second bending mode in air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 3.6: Sinusoidal pressure distribution on UDF based analysis . . . . 27
Figure 3.7: Vortices produced by flapping tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 3.8: Variation of coefficient of pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 3.10: Hermite curve Lofting in CATIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 3.11: Design Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 3.12: Surface Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 3.13: Shell Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 3.14: Top view with tail at 45o towards left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 3.15: Top view with tail at 45o towards right . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 3.16: Front part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 3.17: Nose part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 3.18: Tail section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Figure 3.19: Tail specific parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Figure 3.20: Equivalent tail in rectangular form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Figure 3.21: Tetra meshed fish model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Figure 3.22: Flow simulation over fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 3.23: Coefficient of drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 3.24: Servo Torque Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Figure 3.25: Surface Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 4.1: Arduino UNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Figure 4.2: HC-05 Bluetooth Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 4.3: Arduino compatible Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 4.4: Servo Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Figure 4.5: Power source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 4.6: Electronic circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 5.1: Modelled payload capsule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Figure 5.2: Manufactured payload capsule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Figure 5.3: Modelled head body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE viii 2018-2019

Figure 5.4: Manufactured head body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Figure 5.5: Modelled tail body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Figure 5.6: Manufactured tail body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Figure 5.7: CNC manufactured components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Figure 5.8: Housing of Bearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Figure 5.9: Assembly side view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Figure 5.10: Exploded view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Figure 5.11: Placement of components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Figure 5.12: Cruise test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Figure 5.13: Cruise speed estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Figure 5.14: Test cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 5.15: Turn test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 5.16: Turn rate estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE ix 2018-2019

LIST OF TABLES Fish-Bot
List of Tables
3.1 Tail Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

3.2 Ansys Fluent simulation setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.3 Caudal Fin Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE x 2018-2019

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Fish-Bot
Chapter 1
Introduction
About 71% of the Earth’s surface is water-covered and the oceans hold about 96.5% of
all Earth’s water. Despite an increasing rate of species discovery, as much as 95% of the
world’s oceans remain unexplored. Oceans have become a natural habitat for thousands
of species, be it flora, fauna and abundant resources which man has been exploring for
his needs since the very beginning. With time, man has over-exploited them and, in the
process, has been responsible for an irrevocable damage done through oil spills, plastic
and chemical littering of hazardous substances from various sources (Refer Figure 1.1).
This has resulted in drastic climatic changes, marine life extinction, water pollution etc.
It is necessary for humans to realize that oceans are a huge asset for survivability of
mankind. Therefore efforts should be initiated to secure the oceans and its resources.
Also it is of paramount importance for technologies to focus on safeguarding water
resources, where, surveillance becomes an integral part of that process. In developing
Figure 1.1: Ocean Pollution

Source: https://economist.com.na/35786/environment/namibia/
countries, fish not only provide a major source of protein on an individual’s diet, but
also a source of income as an export product. A propelling fish is more than 90%
efficient[7] in comparison to a classic propulsion mechanism like the rotary propeller
which is only 50% efficient. From this study, it is evident that in recent years robotic
Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 1 2018-2019

Figure 1.2: Ship or Plane Wreckage Assistance

Source: https://www.pvdtraining.com.vn/in-water-services/
fish have become a topic of increasing interest within the scientific community. In our
modern world the applications for a robotic fish are very vast, ranging from military
and defence, robotic education, nature conservation, under-water wreckage assistance
(Refer Figure 1.2), and even state of the art medical techniques.
1.1 Background
As fish are impressive swimmers in many ways and as stated in the previous section,
their propulsion technique is 90% efficient (Refer Figure 1.3). It is hoped that sub-
mersible robots that swim like them might be superior to submersibles using propellers.
Engineered counterpart or bio-mimetic locomotion has been suggested to be a solution
of the submersible vehicle. In the field of under-water physics, undulating finned robot
offers exceptional advantage over propeller in preserving an undisturbed condition of
its surroundings for data acquisition. Both military and marine security are important
areas where this precisely designed bio-mimetic robotic fish finds its significant role in
ensuring safe waters. The robot fitted with undulating fins could go undetected when
they are swimming with a school of fish and therefore may act as a spy. The robotic
fish can also be employed for environmental surveying or inspection over coastal lines.
Other applications include seabed mapping and aquatic entertainment. Each species of
fish has its own unique and optimum way of interacting with its environment, which
dictates the specie’s body shape, size, and the way it propels itself. This has lead to

the development and study of the robotic fish by various researchers for the different
applications.
Figure 1.3: Fish Propulsion

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/brown0660/types-of-sharks/
Fish locomotion is split into three stages. Stage one, which is called the preparatory
stroke which is characterized by the initial bending to a C shape with a small delay
caused by hydrodynamic resistance. Stage two, the propulsive stroke, involves the body
bending rapidly to the other side, which may occur multiple times. Stage three, the rest
phase which causes the fish to return to normal steady-state swimming and the body
undulations begin to cease. Large muscles located closer to the central portion of the
fish are stronger and generate more force than the muscles in the tail. This asymmetry
in muscle composition causes body undulations that occur in Stage 3.
At higher frequencies of tail flapping, the fish employs more force to generate the
Figure 1.4: S-shape and C-shape swimming modes

Source: https://esi.stanford.edu/exercise/exercise4.htm
frequency and more forward speed is obtained. This higher frequency produces sec-
ond mode of bending (S-shape)as shown in Figure 1.4, but the maximum displacement
required for a particular amount of thrust is less when the fish is swimming using the S-
shape. At lower frequency the forward speed is less but the maneuverability is more (C-

shape)[15]. The fish uses the energy available to produce a larger displacement at lower
frequencies. As with moving through any fluid, friction is created when molecules of
the fluid collide with organism. The collision causes drag against the moving fish, which
is why many fish are streamlined in shape. Streamlined shapes work to reduce drag by
orienting elongated objects parallel to the force of drag, therefore allowing the current
to pass over and taper off at the end of the fish. This streamlined shape allows for a more
efficient use of energy for the locomotion. Some flat-shaped fish can take advantage of
pressure drag by having a flat bottom surface and curved top surface. The pressure drag
created allows for the upward lift of the fish. The body shape of a swimming organism
affects the resulting drag. Long, slender bodies reduce pressure drag by streamlining,
while short, round bodies reduce frictional drag; therefore, the optimal shape of an or-
ganism depends on its niche. Swimming organisms with a fusi-form shape are likely
to experience the greatest reduction in both pressure and frictional drag[16]. The dif-
ference on the up-stream and down-stream surfaces of the body is pressure drag, which
creates a downstream force on the object. Frictional drag, on the other hand, is a re-
sult of fluid viscosity in the boundary layer. Higher turbulence causes greater frictional
drag.
Many aquatic/marine organisms have developed organs to compensate for their weight
and control their buoyancy in the water. These structures, make the density of their
bodies very close to that of the surrounding water. Many aquatic and marine organisms
may also be composed of low-density materials. Swimming animals that are denser
than water must generate lift or adapt a benthic lifestyle. Movement of the fish to
generate hydrodynamic lift is necessary to prevent sinking. Often, their bodies act as
hydrofoils, a task that is more effective in flat-bodied fish. At a small tilt angle, the lift
is greater for flat fish than it is for fish with narrow bodies. Narrow-bodied fish use their
fins as hydrofoils while their bodies remain horizontal. In sharks, the heterocercal tail
shape drives water downward, creating a counteracting upward force while thrusting
the shark forward. The lift generated is assisted by the pectoral fins and upward-angle
body positioning. It is supposed that tunas primarily use their pectoral fins for lift[22].
Buoyancy maintenance is metabolically expensive. Growing and sustaining a buoyancy
organ, adjusting the composition of biological makeup, and exerting physical strain to
stay in motion demands large amounts of energy. It is proposed that lift may be physi-

cally generated at a lower energy cost by swimming upward and gliding downward, in
a ”climb and glide” motion, rather than constant swimming on a plane.
There are many such operating conditions which need to be considered while mimick-
ing the elegant motion of the fish. The enormous applications and opportunities that
stand under-water served as the key motivation to take up this work.
1.2 Problem Statement

The work aims to develop an affordable, under-water surveillance platform with pay-
load capability and ease of maneuverability.
”To design, fabricate and implement an efficient hydrodynamic based remotely

controlled bio-mimicking fish-bot for under-water surveillance”
Figure 1.5: Methodology
The above mentioned problem statement has been accomplished by various engineers
around the world by using conventional actuators, whereas the present work focuses on

using piezoelectric actuators for achieving the desired application. The specific type of
piezoelectric actuator chosen for the purpose is Macro Fibre Composite (MFC) actuator
the details of which will be provided in the next Chapter. The work undertaken from
here on is defined by the following objectives.
1.3 Objectives
• To study and understand the behaviour and working of the piezoelectric actuator.
• To select application specific actuator and implement it’s flapping motion into
undulating motion.
• To design and integrate a compatible tail for motion mechanism.
• To model a bot and simulate its motion by imparting maneuverability and con-
trolling depth using dive planes by applying the concept of neutral buoyancy.
• To acquire data through camera for under-water study of marine plants and ani-
mals.
To meet the above objectives, a background study followed by an extensive literature

survey is carried out to understand the important concepts involved in the hydrodynam-
ics of fish. Also a deep analysis on the piezoelectric actuators is performed to verify
their feasibility for under-water based application.

CHAPTER 2. THEORY AND CONCEPTS Fish-Bot
Chapter 2
Theory and Concepts
2.1 Introduction to smart materials

Smart systems consist of sensors and actuators that are either embedded in or attached
to the system containing central control and command unit to form an integral part of
it. The main feature that distinguishes the Smart actuators against the conventional ac-
tuators is that, there are no moving components. This fact forms the basis for producing
undulating motion under-water. Smart or intelligent materials (Refer Figure 2.1) are
materials that have the intrinsic and extrinsic capabilities, first, to sense a stimuli or en-
vironmental changes and, second, to activate their functions according to these changes.
Stimulus - Stress, strain, light, electric field, temperature and pressure, etc.
Response - Motion or change in optical properties, modulus, surface tension, piezo-
electricity etc.
They are classified as -
• Actively Smart: They possess the capacity to modify their geometric or material
properties under the application of electric, thermal or magnetic fields, thereby
acquiring an inherent capacity to transduce energy. The different types are-
1. Piezoelectric
2. Magnetostrictive
3. Shape memory alloys
4. Electro-Rheological fluid, etc.
They can be used as force transducers and actuators.
• Passively Smart: These are materials that do not actively produce a reaction to
the change encountered and hence called passively smart materials. Although
smart, they lack the inherent capability to transfer energy. Optical fibres are the

most common example of this kind of material.

These materials can act as sensors but not as actuators or transducers.
Figure 2.1: Smart materials

Source: https://technology.nasa.gov/materials-and-coatings/mat-smartmaterials.html
A smart structure (Refer Figure 2.2) is a system that incorporates particular functions
of sensing and actuation to perform required operations in an ingenious way.
The basic five components of a smart structure are -
• Data Acquisition: The purpose of this component is to collect the required raw
data needed for an appropriate sensing and monitoring of the structure.
• Data Transmission (sensory nerves): The purpose of this part is to forward the
raw data to the local and/or central command and control units.
• Command and Control Unit (brain): The role of this unit is to manage and control
the whole system by analysing the data, reaching the appropriate conclusion, and
determining the actions required.
• Data Instructions (motor nerves): The function of this part is to transmit the de-
cisions and the associated instructions back to the members of the structure.

• Action Devices (muscles): The purpose of this part is to take action by triggering
the controlling devices/units.
Figure 2.2: Smart Structure

Source: https://technology.nasa.gov/materials-and-coatings/mat-smartmaterials.html
Piezoelectric materials are materials that produce a voltage when stress is applied.
Since this effect also applies in the reverse manner, a voltage across the sample will
produce stress within the sample. Suitably designed structures made from these materi-
als can therefore be made to bend, twist, expand or contract when a voltage is applied.
2.2 Understanding Micro Fibre Composites(MFC)

Smart actuators have been gaining momentum as a replacement to conventional actuator
due its light weight, optimal rigidity, low complexity in manufacturing and functioning
and high performance actuation.
The important task is to study the dynamic behaviour and analyse the characteristics
of Macro Fibre Composite(MFC) for predetermined dimensions and voltage to per-
ceive deflections and vibrations that can be practically and experimentally validated.
The MFC’s capability to act as sensor and actuator open doors to innumerable appli-
cations along with its various operational mode[8]. The MFC technology permits the
production of perfectly aligned fiber actuators that are no thicker than a few tenths of a
millimeter.
Hereby it becomes important to study the characteristics of MFC in analysing the de-
flections produced through mechanical loading and precise matching with that of its

inbuilt piezoelectric properties like voltage input for dynamic loads.

The properties derived by the analysis of the MFCs provides numerous applications and
one of which is a Fish bot. The salient features of the actuator help the bot to merge
with the aquatic life and provides opportunities for various under-water tasks like Ma-
rine life exploration, under-water surveillance,tracking and monitoring oceanic wastes
and many more.
This bending actuation of the MFC with no mechanical components associated with it
is the motivation to design the Fish bot. Different configurations of the usage of MFC
will be further discussed and explained so as to produce a complete 6-DOF system so
as to maneuver inside water.
2.2.1 Construction and working
• The MFC consists of rectangular piezo ceramic rods sandwiched between layers
of adhesive, electrodes and polyimide film as shown in Figure 2.3
• The electrodes are attached to the film in an interdigitated pattern which transfers
the applied voltage directly to and from the ribbon shaped rods.
• This assembly enables in-plane poling, actuation and sensing in a sealed and
durable, ready-to-use package.
• As a thin, surface-conformable sheet, it can be applied (normally soldered) to

various types of structures or embedded in a composite structure.
Figure 2.3: Schematic structure of the MFC

Source: MFC V2.3-Web-full-brochure, 2000-2017 Smart Material Corp
• If voltage is applied it will bend or distort materials, counteract vibrations or

generate vibrations.

• If no voltage is applied it can work as a very sensitive strain gauge, sensing de-
formations, noise and vibrations or harvesting energy from it.
• The novel, uniquely pliable and conformable features of the MFC also allow for
precise health monitoring, morphing and stiffening of structures.
• The MFC’s flat profile and capability of simultaneously acting as an actuator and
sensor allows for its use in very critical or tight areas. The MFC is available in
d33 and d31 operational mode, a unique feature of the Macro Fiber Composite.
2.3 Selection of MFC for desired purpose
Figure 2.4: MFC as elongator and contractor

2.3.1 Advantages of using MFC
• Flexible and durable
• Increased strain actuator efficiency
• Directional actuation / sensing
• Damage tolerant
• Available as elongator (d33 mode) and contractor (d31 mode) as shown in Figure
2.4
• Conforms to surfaces
• Readily embeddable

• Environmentally sealed package
• Demonstrated performance
• Different piezo ceramic materials available
2.3.2 Disadvantages of using MFC
• Produce small strains compared to SMA and magnetostrictives
• Cannot withstand high shear and tension
• Material does age
• Uses active control and hence can lead to instability
• Can become depolarized due to high voltages, high temperatures and large stresses.
2.4 Operational modes of MFC
Figure 2.5: 3 Working modes

• The type of MFC is decided based on the modes of vibrations (modes are illus-
trated using MFC in Figure 2.5 and Figure 2.6) required to actuate movements of
Fish bot and the loads acting on it.
• The size of MFC is decided based on errors developed for the given application.
• Blocking Force: The blocking force Fmax is the maximum force generated by
the actuator. This force is achieved when the displacement of the actuator is
completely blocked, i.e. it works against a load with an infinitely high stiffness.

• Free Strain: Maximum deflection achieved under application of maximum volt-

age when one end of the body is fixed.
Figure 2.6: MFC types and allignment of electrodes

2.5 Validating and Selection of operational modes
2.5.1 Methodology
1. Dynamic analysis for MFC actuator with a calculated voltage is performed.
2. Obtained deflections are transferred on to a plate to induce torque or motion.
3. The deflection, strain and the blocking force are extracted.
4. The forces are mechanically applied to obtain deflections of similar amplitude.
5. Loads of dynamic nature such as sinusoidal nature and linear loads are applied.
6. The results are matched with their respective deflections.
The main focus is d31 and d33 operational modes which the numeral specifies the direc-
tion of voltage application and resultant deflection respectively. (Refer Appendix for
the detailed steps)
2.6 Literature Survey

Studying the previous works done by the engineers around the world who have worked
on similar problem statements introduces the benchmark values that govern the cur-
rent work’s targets. There are different approaches adopted to the piezoelectric actuator
modeling of fish bot. The work carried out in the piezoelectric tail propulsion[2] using
Integrated Polymer Metal Composites (IPMCs) gives insight to the operational modes

of the actuator under-water. It also supported the fact that the actuator along with other
components occupies a small volume and smaller bots can be made avoiding the de-
sign constraints. The bot was manufactured and tested for different motions that can be
imparted by the piezoelectric actuator but a complete command unit was not designed.
This is a major challenge while using the actuators as the input voltage required for
their operation is in the range of 500V-1000V.
This challenge can be overcome by using a DC-DC converter that steps up the lower
input voltage to the required voltage as per the needs of the actuator. This method is
employed in the aquatic robot modeled using the piezoelectric actuator(MFC)[3] with
the capability of remote control. However, the concept depicting the thrust produced
by the fish is not supportive when applied for different types models. The piezoelectric
modeling of the tail entered the non-linear region of operation while flapping under-
water. This is again not clearly depicted by the mathematical model. A standard model
for the piezoelectric tail has to be developed so as to expand the applications of the
model by using varying sizes of bot.
A detailed experimental study on the thrust produced by the MFC actuator is under-
water is produced in the work done to understand the actuators capability under-water[5].
A comparative study on the tail with and with out the caudal fin (Refer Figure 2.7) is
also performed and is found that the inclusion of the fin improves the thrust efficiency
by 40%.
Figure 2.7: Caudal fin attached to MFC actuator

Source: Erturk et al. [5]

In all the previous works accomplished, a complete development of the bot with piezo-
electric actuator has been barely served. Also the concept used to produce thrust is very
straight forward. It does into take into consideration the undulating motion of the fish
tail. The present work puts forth a concept of ’Phase-lag’ that is developed from the
hydrodynamic study of the fish motion. A fish model actuated by servo motors is devel-
oped validating the idea suitable experimental values so that the work can be extended
to smart actuators as well.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) developed a robotic fish which uses
a hydraulic pump[4] for the flapping the tail under-water. The previously mentioned
concept of phase lag is tried to be achieved by using a tail fabricated with silicone rub-
ber(Refer Figure 2.8). A Bluefin Tuna fish was set as the standard fish that is mimicked
in the process of modeling. The usage of the hydraulic pump provides a higher energy
for the tail and hence a higher thrust is produced by the servo actuated bot. But this
also comes with the disadvantage that a larger volume of bot is required for packing the
larger servo and its associated components. The major disadvantage is the turbulence
and hence the noise produced by the motorized bot is comparatively higher than the
piezoelectric actuated bot.
Figure 2.8: MIT Sofi bot

Source: Robert K et al. [4]
A similar work is carried out by employing a wire driven servo actuation to control the
flapping of fish[6]. The structure used by the prototype is very simple but the actuation
causes the bot to lose its inherent stability because of the poor selection of the placement
of the mechanism.(Refer Figure 2.9)

Figure 2.9: Wire driven fish mechanism

Source: Zhong et al. [6]
The approach to the design is made by considering all the constraints collected from the
literature study.
2.7 Hydrodynamics of Fish

Nature has always been a source of inspiration for engineers, and hence in order to ini-
tiate the design of a robotic fish, fish physiology(Refer Figure 2.10) had to be studied
in depth. After millions of years of evolution and natural selection, fish exhibit a large
variety of swimming behaviors. These motions can be classified into undulatory or os-
cillatory movements of their body or fins. In oscillatory motion the propulsive structure
Figure 2.10: Hydrodynamic parts of a fish

Source: http://data.allenai.org/tqa/fish-L-0375
moves back and forth without forming a wave, while in undulatory motion the propul-
sive structure movement creates a wave. In general, the fish swimming motion can be
seen as propulsion mechanisms of temporal features. Fish propulsion mechanisms are

generally divided into two categories; Body and Caudal Fin (BCF) locomotion and Me-
dian Pair Fin Locomotion (MPF) locomotion.
Figure 2.11: Swimming modes of a fish

Source: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Review-of-Fish-Swimming-Modes/
Both BCF and MPF are dependent on the fish physiological mechanism and can be
further classified into undulatory and oscillatory propulsion. Most fish swim by BCF
locomotion, which involves ”bending their bodies into a backward-moving propulsive
wave that extends to its caudal fin”. Other fish swim by MPF locomotion, which in-
volves the use of their median and pectoral fins. From various studies it is estimated
that 15% of fish families use MPF as propulsion mechanism. While a much larger
number that regularly depend on BCF for propulsion, uses MPF for stabilisation and
manoeuvring (Refer Figure 2.11). Under BCF and MPF there is a broad range of sub
classifications associated with the motion (oscillatory or undulatory) employed. Each
of the modes can be seen as a continuum spectrum rather than discrete groups.
Generally, fish that use the same propulsion mechanism exhibit the same morphology.
Hence they can be classified as three basic fish morphology models, based on their
specializations in cruising, accelerating and maneuvering.

2.8 Forces Acting on Fish

Water is the medium in which fish move, and hence its material properties have influ-
enced the evolution of fish locomotion. Water’s density almost matches the density of
the animals and thus it almost entirely counter balances the weight of gravity. Addition-
ally, due to water’s incompressibility, any motion executed by the fish will set the water
in motion and vice versa. Thus, swimming comprises mainly the transfer of momentum
between water and fish.
The four major forces acting on the fish are thrust, drag,weight and buoyancy coupled
with lift as shown in Figure 2.12.
Figure 2.12: Forces on a Fish

Source: Z Whang et al. [50]
The thrust production by fish is the area of interest and nature chooses the best possible
way to accomplish it.
• The forces are resolved based on the wake at the tail of a fish as shown in Figure
2.13.
• The direction of these forces are to be provided using smart actuators at desired
positions.
• Analysing the forces (seen in Figure 2.14) that need to be produced using the
MFC, puts forth the next challenge of the placement of the actuator for the opti-
mum performance.

Figure 2.13: Components of thrust

Source: http://www.biology-resources.com/drawing-fish-swimming.html
Figure 2.14: Thrust distribution

Source: http://lungtp.com/animalsupport/e-ehdfd.html
2.8.1 Cruise conditions of Fish
• Thrust = Drag
• Thrust due to undulating flapping motion to overcome Drag (Induced due to Kar-
mann vortices and Form drag due surface area).
• Thrust Measurement critical in determining the motion and the design optimiza-
tion
• Hydrodynamic Lift + Buoyancy force = Weight
• Lift due to pressure difference summed with buoyant force to Archimedes prin-
ciple is necessarily balanced by overall weight of Fishbot.

• This principle of Neutral Buoyancy is essential in depth control of planes with

the same cruise thrust and orientation of dive planes.
• Fish neither floats nor sinks.
• Depends on density of medium, volume immersed, gravity.
2.8.2 Body-Caudal Fin Locomotion Study
BCF locomotion is particularly effective for cruising continuously and accelerating

quickly. These two characteristics make the BCF locomotion a suitable propulsive
mechanism for this project’s final model. In order to further expand the knowledge
and understanding of the BCF propulsion, its locomotive dynamics should be consid-
ered. To generate thrust for BCF swimming fish rely on two different phenomena; the
added mass effect and the vortices effect. The added mass effect reflects on the fact
that when the fish moves its caudal fin sideways to propel itself, it sets some water in
motion[10]. Thus the lateral movements seem to carry the ”added mass” of the water.
This phenomena is also related to Newton’s Third Law of motion as when the fish
Figure 2.15: Reverse Von-Kármán Vortex

Source: Triantafyllou Michael et al. [7]
transfers momentum to the water by flapping its tail, the water will exert an equal and
opposite reaction on the fish, hence propelling it forwards.

On the other hand, the vortices effect refers to the phenomena where the vortices in
the fish’s own wake impart a propulsive force. This occurs as the vortice’s rotational
direction is always compatible with the desired direction of thrust, leading to a highly
efficient jet. This type of vortices is referred as a reversed von Kármán vortex street [7],
and is shown in Figure 2.15. In order to achieve high efficiency by BCF propulsion, two
dimensionless parameters should be considered; the Strouhal number (Refer Equation
2.1) and the Reynold’s number (Refer Equation 2.2).
Both parameters are defined below:
f Amax
St = (2.1)
U
U∞ l
Re = (2.2)
ν
2.9 Concept of Piezoelectric actuation

Piezoelectric Materials Operate as actuator with an electric field applied causing dis-
placements. They operate as sensor by producing an electric field when strained. They
are classified based on polarized direction and resulting displacement directions. Three
directions are generally considered -
• d33 - Mode: Polarized along the length of the actuator and displaces in the same
direction as shown in Figure 2.16.
Figure 2.16: Expansion and Contraction

Source: A.L. Kholkin et al. [50]
• d15 - Mode: Polarized in longitudinal direction and produces shear direction as

shown in Figure 2.17.
• d31 - Mode: Polarized through the thickness and displaces in the longitudinal
direction as shown in Figure 2.18.

Figure 2.17: Shear

Figure 2.18: Bending

From the various studies performed it is seen that the nature undertakes a minimalistic
approach to overcome the drag experienced by the fish under-water. It becomes an
advanced design related problem which needs to be overcome while mimicking the
motion of fish under-water. The piezoelectric actuators also govern the kind of design
that needs to be produced for an efficient operation.

CHAPTER 3. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION Fish-Bot
Chapter 3
Design and Implementation
3.1 Methodology
Based on the study conducted, it can be seen that there are two types of mechanisms to
produce thrust under-water. One using the servo motors and the other being piezoelec-
tric actuators. A servo based bot has a high power available to it to propel the bot easily
but produces a lot of turbulence and does not produce a undulatory motion; whereas,
a MFC bot has only a hundredth of a power of a servo bot to propel the fish but has
the capability to produce an undulatory motion. Due to this fact the sizing of the bot is
different for both the type of actuators as shown in Figure 3.1. A servo bot is developed
from the concepts derived from the study of the hydrodynamics of the fish, which is
used to define the governing parameters required for the design of a MFC based bot. A
detailed methodology of the work carried out is presented in Figure 3.2.
Figure 3.1: MFC vs Servo based bot

Source: Cen et al. [3]

Figure 3.2: Generalized design methodology
3.2 Piezoelectric Modeling of Tail

The MFC is thin in nature with a thickness of 0.3mm and has an electrode skeleton laid
on the top of the epoxy film which together forms the smart actuator. On the application
of electric potential to the actuator , it exhibits particular type of deflection based on the
direction of voltage application. The concept here is to employ two MFCs in Bi-Morph
configuration which simulates the tail motion of a fish to produce the undulated flapping
motion. A core material has to be used for the purpose of bonding the MFCs and induce

structural flexibility.
In order to accomplish this the MFC tail model is modeled to the actual dimensions
and meshed in Hypermesh and simulated in Abaqus to estimate the natural frequency
of the tail setup. Any structure when excited in its natural frequency exhibits larger
amplitude of displacements. The natural frequency obtained from the analysis has to be
transformed to the natural frequency under-water through accurate formulations.
The tail consists of a core material patch made of epoxy and the top and bottom faces
is where the MFC is bonded as illustrated in Figure 3.3. The relative elongation of the
MFC produces the required bending motion.
Figure 3.3: Epoxy core(yellow) with MFC bonded at top and bottom
• A harmonic bending can be produced by inducing a sinusoidal electrical input

which is given to electrodes.
• Bi-morphing has the advantage of greater control over the amplitude of the tip
displacement of MFC.
• The tail is constrained at its root as shown in Figure 3.4 to mimic the tail of the
fish.
Figure 3.4: Boundary conditions on the Bi-Morph tail

3.3 Modal Analysis of Tail

The flapping amplitude is comparatively high while operating under resonance condi-
tions. So the modal analysis is performed to estimate the bending frequency of the
tail model and equivalent frequency under water is calculated using the verified equa-
tion[8][9] given as:
ω f luid πρb −1/2
= (1 + ) (3.1)
ωvac 4ρc h
Observations from the analysis-
• First Bending Frequency = 4.8Hz as shown in Figure 3.5
• Under-water modal frequency = 1.98Hz
• Second Bending Mode under-water = 13Hz as shown in Figure
• Maximum tip displacement obtained in air = 4.32cm
• Equivalent tip displacement in water = 1.25cm
But a structural member made of epoxy whose thickness is in millimeters will fail at
such high frequency. So the second bending mode can be obtained by the attachment
of a caudal fin as discussed earlier.
Figure 3.5: First and second bending mode in air
3.4 Hydrodynamic Simulation

The data extracted from the structural analysis is fed for the hydrodynamic analysis of
the flapping tail to estimate the thrust developed.
Steps followed-
1. Cantilever plate of dimension 90mm x 1.4mm was constructed and meshed.
2. Placed in water Domain with viscosity of 0.00089 Pa-s at 300K.

3. User Defined Motion (UDF Code) was compiled and loaded to give single Centre
of Gravity Motion at one end of plate.
4. Amplitude and Frequency were input from the structural analysis.
5. Coefficient of pressure extracted and the thrust produced is estimated.
6. Operating Reynolds number = 13000 using Equation 2.2 .
7. Frequency of vortices produced is validated with the Strouhal number. The Strouhal
number relates the frequency of the tail swing, amplitude and forward velocity as
illustrated in Equation 2.1
3.4.1 Thrust Calculation
The undulating motion of the tail produces a changing pressure distribution across the
tail surface and the forward component is the one that produces the thrust as seen in
Figure 3.6 and 3.7.
Figure 3.6: Sinusoidal pressure distribution on UDF based analysis
Figure 3.7: Vortices produced by flapping tail

The Strouhal number was verified with the frequency of the vortices produced by the
flapping tail which can be clearly seen in Figure 3.7
Figure 3.8: Variation of coefficient of pressure
3.4.2 Numerical calculation of Thrust
The results obtained from the analysis were put in various which were collected during
the process of literature survey to verify the thrust value.
Method 1[10]:
Fl v
T hrust = (3.2)
2u
ω = 2π f = 2π ∗ 2 = 12.56rad/s (3.3)
v = rω = 0.08 ∗ 12.56 = 1.0042m/s (3.4)

Af 0.02 ∗ 2
St = =⇒ u = = 0.134m/s (3.5)
u 0.3
2.7564 ∗ 1.005
T hrust@Flmax = = 10.31N (3.6)
2 ∗ 0.134
0.1939 ∗ 1.005
T hrust@Flmin = = 0.727N (3.7)
2 ∗ 0.134
Method 2[11]:
T hrust = (Pr − Pl ) ∗ A ∗ sinθ (3.8)

1
=⇒T hrust = C p ∗ ∗ ρ ∗ (0.134)2 ∗ 0.08 ∗ sin8 (3.9)
2

=⇒ @C p = 0.0344, Thrust = 0.055 N

=⇒ @C p = -0.55063, Thrust = 0.00343 N
Method 3[12]:
1
T hrust, F = ∗C f max ∗ S ∗ v2max (3.10)
2
where,
−0.5 −0.2
Lumax Lu
C f max = 1.328 ∗ + 0.074 ∗ (3.11)
ν ν
=⇒C f max = 0.024
Substituting C f max in Equation (4.10),
F = 0.5 ∗ 0.024 ∗ 0.08 ∗ 0.1342 (3.12)
=⇒F = 1.72X10−5 N (3.13)
3.4.3 Inference
• Of the Three methods extracted from three different numerical method, Method 2
results in a value that is in the range of mN that which is comparable to the MFC
based experimental setup for Thrust measurement.
• The wide variation in method 1 and 3 suggest that it is not a reliable to proceed
with numerical results only.
• Therefore it is required for Experimental Testing of Thrust underwater
3.5 Experimental Setup

A force transducer which has a sensitivity of mN has to be coupled with the MFC
bonded tail setup as shown in the Figure 3.9. The transducer has to be coated with
water resistant adhesive to provide water proofing. Electric potential when applied to
the MFC Bi-morph setup at the calculated frequency, the tail starts actuating on either
side of the mean position. The water adjacent to actuator reacts to the dynamic motion
of the tail giving a varied pressure distribution, the lateral component of this pressure
distribution produces the thrust force which is sensed by the transducer.

(a) Experimental Setup
3.6 Design Principle

Hermite Curve: A Hermite curve is a spline where every piece is a third-degree poly-
nomial defined in Hermite form that is, by its values and initial derivatives at the end
points of the equivalent domain interval. A series of vertical ellipses which gradually
change to horizontal ellipses along the length were used to the Hermite curve profile
(Refer Figure 3.10). These are curves derived from the nature and are the best way to
minimize drag during swimming.
Figure 3.10: Hermite curve Lofting in CATIA
3.7 Design Methodology

Intersection curve of two similar circles act as a supporting curve for ellipse implemen-
tation with common centerline as shown in Figure 3.11. The maximum thickness of the
fish should be one-third (1/3rd ) of the diameter of the circle.
A series of ellipses whose dimensions gradually increase transforming the vertical el-
lipse from the center of the body to a horizontal ellipse at the nose. A spline is the

plotted such that it remains tangent to the aforementioned ellipses both at the top and
the bottom. These spline was then surface lofted to produced a closed surface profile.
Figure 3.11: Design Reference
3.8 Design Module

Shell Casing
Figure 3.12: Surface Design
The surface profile shown in Figure 3.12 was transformed to a shell based design of
thickness 8mm shown in Figure 3.13 which was carved for volume based packing of
Subsystem modules.
Figure 3.13: Shell Design

3.9 Design based Mechanism

The major challenge arose for deciding the kind of design cut to be chosen for the tail
to move without hindering the front part. For this a calculated revolved cut was given
to provide the smooth operation of the mechanism and maintain a contact free surface
while the tail is flapping. Curvature in 3D ensures the tail does not intersect while
rotating about pivot. This divided the body into two parts which was connected via a
flapping block in the tail. Tail is designed as to pivot along a point which coincides with
shaft of the motor (Refer Figure 3.14 and Figure 3.15).
Figure 3.14: Top view with tail at 45o towards left
Figure 3.15: Top view with tail at 45o towards right

3.10 Design Drafts

Front body
Figure 3.16: Front part
Figure 3.17: Nose part

Figure 3.18: Tail section
3.11 Numerical based Torque calculation

Table 3.1: Tail Parameters
DESIGN
MAGNITUDE
SPECIFICATIONS
Surface area (SA ) 0.016 m2
CG to pivot distance(r) 0.0484 m
Tail length(c) 0.270m
Lateral velocity (u) 0.6m/s
Maximum lateral deflection
45◦
(θmax )
The major force that has to be overcome by the tail is the lateral drag force produced
during the flapping motion.The tail can be approximated to a rectangle(Table 3.1) of
particular L/D ratio whose coefficient of drag can be easily calculated and scaled (Refer
Figure 3.19). This reference rectangle is used for obtaining the drag force value when it
is pivoted at one end and flapping at the other end.This force serves as a basis for torque
calculation.

Figure 3.19: Tail specific parameters
Figure 3.20: Equivalent tail in rectangular form

Source: https://www.engineersedge.com/fluid-flow/rectangular-flat-plate-drag.htm
f Amax
St = (3.14)
u
Stu 0.35 ∗ 0.6
=⇒ f = = = 0.55Hz (3.15)
Amax 0.381
From the Figure 3.19 it is possible to observe the angle θ , is:
θ = Asin(2π f t) (3.16)
Therefore, angular velocity of G is given by:
ω = 2π f Acos(2π f t) (3.17)

The speed of the tail at G is:
vG = rω (3.18)
=⇒vG = rω = r ∗ 2π f Acos(2π f t) (3.19)
The hydrodynamic drag force F at G, acts in the opposite direction to vG and is defined
as:
1
F = ρw v2G SACD (3.20)
2
1
=⇒F = ρw (2πr f Acos(2π f t))2 SACD (3.21)
2
Thus, the torque needed by the actuator is:
1
T = F ∗ r = ρw (2πr f Acos(2π f t))2 SACD ∗ r (3.22)
2
T = 2π 2 ρw SACD r3 f 2 A2 cos2 (2π f t) (3.23)
The torque is at its maximum when cos2 (2π f t) = 1, hence:
Tmax = 2π 2 ρw SACD r3 f 2 A2 (3.24)
Using ρw = 1000kgm3 , CD = 0.68 and other same parameters as used for previous
calculations,
Tmax = 1.069kg − cm (3.25)
3.12 Coefficient of drag validation: Fluent simulation

The Hydrodynamic efficiency of fishbot design was proved by simulating the fluid (wa-
ter) flow around the fish, thereby estimating the drag coefficient. In this case, the overall
fish is designed and meshed with tetra elements (Refer Figure 3.21) and on simulation,
the drag coefficient obtained is approximately 0.0656 (Refer Figure 3.23) which is com-
parable to the Cd of a Pygoscelis papua (Penguin) which has Cd = 0.07.

Table 3.2: Ansys Fluent simulation setup
FLUENT SETUP
Solver Type Pressure based
Domain 3D Space
Flow type Steady
Velocity inlet 1m/s
Scale mm
Turbulence
SST,k-ω,coupled
model
Energy Equation On
Figure 3.21: Tetra meshed fish model
3.13 Propulsion Module

The propulsion mechanism of the robotic fish refers to the set of components that will
produce the propulsive oscillating movements of the caudal peduncle and fin. The
robotic fish’s propulsion mechanism comprises an electric actuator, a shaft and a rect-
angular driver. The electric actuator represents a critical component for the project’s
model, as it will act as the engine to provide the power to create the propulsive side-
ways oscillating movements. To ensure the correct selection of the electrical actuator
the necessary propulsive torque for the model was estimated numerically. Taking into
consideration losses such as, Servo friction, Boundary & wake losses, Upstream flow
drag & damping force, hence a motor of higher torque is required. The maximum torque
needed for the actuator to drive the oscillating caudal peduncle and fin should be greater
than the largest drag force acting on it while it oscillates. A servo motor represents a
viable electric actuator for the model, due to its size and operation. When servo motors

are commanded to move, they will move to the desired position and hold it.
Figure 3.22: Flow simulation over fish
Figure 3.23: Coefficient of drag
If an external force pushes against the servo motor, while it is holding its position, the
servo motor will resist from moving. A servo with a minimum torque of 4Kg-cm is
required to keep the tail flapping but to initiate the flapping process from mean value a
larger torque value is required, and this test was conducted to fix upon the specific servo
required.
The oscillating frequency for the caudal peduncle and fin is directly proportional to
the Strouhal number at which the model swims, the model’s swimming velocity and
the maximum required torque to drive the propulsive tail. Additionally, the robotic
fish’s maximum swimming velocity was estimated to be 0.50m/s. With the aid of the

Strouhal number definition and the set parameters previously mentioned, the oscillating
frequency of the model was calculated to be 0.55 Hz.
The servo motor was connected to a micro-controller board which was previously pro-
grammed to make it oscillate. During testing the polycarbonate piece (Refer Figure
3.24) was completely immersed in water whilst the fin oscillating was attached to a
Tower-pro Mg995 servo motor. The servo motor was connected to a micro-controller
board which was previously programmed to make it oscillate.
Figure 3.24: Servo Torque Testing
Caudal fin
The caudal fin design is essential to maximize the propulsive efficiency of the mode.
The caudal fin’s high aspect ratio ensures there is a reduction in the boundary layer
separation, which becomes important when swimming at large speeds. However, as the
project’s model does not intend to swim at particularly high speeds the aspect ratio con-
straint can be overlooked. In light of this, a forked shaped caudal fin can be regarded as
the next most efficient caudal fin geometry. Forked caudal fins are adequate for cruising
at fast speeds for long distances. Based on the aforementioned facts the design of the
caudal was taken forward. Various caudal fin designs were considered, finally selecting
a flexible symmetrical forked-shaped flexible caudal fin.
The finalized design(Refer Figure 3.25) for the robotic fish included a flexible caudal
fin in order to increase the propulsive efficiency of the model. Silicone represents a

viable material for manufacturing the caudal fin due to its degree of flexibility and its
wide range of operating temperatures (-65◦ C-200◦ C). Using the previously specified
geometry for the caudal fin, a shape was designed in Catia V5(Table 3.3).
Table 3.3: Caudal Fin Parameters
CAUDUAL FIN
MAGNITUDE
PARAMETERS
Fin span 0.120m
Surface area 0.007m2
Figure 3.25: Surface Design
The bot is modeled according to the design principles that were derived in this chapter.
It can be seen that the fish bot is modeled for remote surveillance and hence a wireless
electronic control architecture is devised.

CHAPTER 4. CONTROL MODULE Fish-Bot
Chapter 4
Control Module
4.1 System Components

A system Component is a process, program, utility, another part of a computer’s oper-
ating system that helps to, manage different areas of the computer. Not to be confused
with a hardware component, a system component is similar to a computer program, but
is not something a end user directly interact with when using a computer. The system
components has both hardware components and software components.
4.2 Electronic Components
4.2.1 Arduino
Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company, project and user commu-
nity that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller
kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control both
physically and digitally. Arduino UNO is an open-source microcontroller board based
on the Microchip ATmega328P microcontroller and developed by Arduino.cc. It com-
Figure 4.1: Arduino UNO

Source: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardUnoSMD

municates using the original STK500 protocol. The Uno also differs from all preceding
boards in that it does not use the FTDI USB-to-serial driver chip. Instead, it uses the
Atmega16U2 (Atmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed as a USB-to-serial converter.
• Microcontroller: Microchip ATmega328P.
• Operating Voltage: 5 Volts
• Input Voltage: 7 to 20 Volts
• Digital I/O Pins: 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 6
• DC Current per I/O Pin: 20 mA
• DC Current for 3.3V Pin: 50 mA
• Clock Speed: 16 MHz
• Length: 68.6 mm
• Width: 53.4 mm
• Weight: 25 g
4.2.2 Bluetooth module
The HC-05 module is used for the wireless control of the bot underwater as it is the
most easiest mode of control that can be used via a mobile device as well.
Figure 4.2: HC-05 Bluetooth Module

Source: https://www.itead.cc/wiki/Serial-Port-Bluetooth-Module-(Master/Slave)

Technical specifications
• Typical -80dBm sensitivity
• Up to +4dBm RF transmit power
• Low Power 1.8V Operation ,1.8 to 3.6V I/O
• PIO control
• UART interface with programmable baud rate
• With integrated antenna
• With edge connector
4.2.3 Payload Camera
Camera is a crucial component,as it serves one of the main objectives during the surveil-
lance. OV7670 camera is integrated with Arduino and placed at the forefront near the
nose for obtaining images and recording video with memory transfer capability. The
nose was purposely made flat to avoid any interference or refraction of light ,hindering
or obscuring the object to be seen.
Figure 4.3: Arduino compatible Camera

Source: http://web.mit.edu/6.111/www/f2016/tools/OV7670-2006.pdf
Any improvement that could be made in future work is including a symmetrical light
source just in the peripheral region of scope of camera ,to illuminate the target, resulting
in image capturing capability with good clarity.

4.2.4 Servo motor
The current application uses Mg995 servo motor (Refer Figure 4.4). This servo serves
the required torque for the flapping motion required for the tail. A higher torque rated
servo is chosen to overcome the damping force experienced by the tail underwater.
Specifications
• Weight: 55 g
• Dimension: 40.7 x 19.7 x 42.9 mm approx.
Figure 4.4: Servo Motor

Source: https://www.electronicoscaldas.com/datasheet/MG995-Tower-Pro.pdf
• Stall torque: 8.5 kgf-cm (4.8 V), 10 kgf·cm (6 V)
• Operating speed: 0.2 s/60o (4.8 V), 0.16 s/60o (6 V)
• Operating voltage: 4.8 V to 7.2 V
• Rotation Angle: 120o . (± 60 from center)
• Temperature range: 0oC – 55oC
4.2.5 Battery
Arduino UNO is powered by two 9V (Refer Figure 4.5) cells connected in parallel
for more power input for the same voltage input. Bluetooth module is also powered
independently from a 9V power source. The two servo motors are also independently
controlled via two 9V cells all these are packed inside the shell casing.

Figure 4.5: Power source

Source: https://www.batterymart.com/p-r-li9720-9volt-lithium-polymer-battery.html
4.3 Integration of Electronics

Bluetooth module acts as an initiator, where the control commands are inputted through
a module/app in mobile (Refer Figure 4.6). The signals transferred carry information of
the commands to the Arduino board. The Arduino is the central processing component
that receives and send signals to the corresponding electronic components. A code is
written, compiled and uploaded to the board through Arduino IDE environment. The
output signals of Arduino to servo motors and camera initiate their individual actions.
Figure 4.6: Electronic circuit
The primary servo is employed is for cruise conditions and yawing about vertical axis
in either left or right direction. On the other hand, the secondary servo is used for depth

control via dive planes by creating a pitching moment about lateral axis. The Arduino
signaled camera captures images instantaneously and stores them in SD Storage mod-
ule. The images can be then viewed on screens after the retrieval of the bot. A more
advanced version of this can be to have a real-time surveillance underwater. But this
will be including the usage of buoy which is out of the scope of this work.
The central control system’s algorithm was designed (Refer Appendix B) for the in-
tercompatible performance of the individual electronic components. The design pa-
rameters extracted from various analysis mentioned in the previous chapters served the
boundary regime for the operation of the integrated electronic module.
The internal placement of the individual components plays an important role in the sta-
bility of the bot. It also governs the working of the control system in the desired limits.
Hence, assembling the different parts has to be carefully carried out such that it does not
disturb the initial conditions of the bot based on which the working concepts are derived.

CHAPTER 5. ASSEMBLY AND TESTING Fish-Bot
Chapter 5
Assembly and Testing
Figure 5.1: Modelled payload capsule
Figure 5.2: Manufactured payload capsule
The payload capsule is the most elegant part of the bot. It carries the desired payload
which in this case is the camera. It is the first part to be separated from the bot when
tried to disintegrate the fish bot (Refer Figure 5.1).
The capsule module has grooves designed to fit the head body which ensures water
proofing and tight fitting (Refer Figure 5.2).
The head body is the place for all the internal electronic modules to be packed and also
to produce a streamlined shape to the bot. It is designed as two halves for the easy
assembly and dismantling of components (Refer Figure 5.3 and Refer Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.3: Modelled head body
Figure 5.4: Manufactured head body
Figure 5.5: Modelled tail body
5.1 Implementation and Testing

The complete model was assembled (Refer Figure 5.5) and water leakage is avoided
by applying water sealant paste along the fine gaps where the different parts mate and
fit. Bearings were also used in the shaft interface with the bot to avoid water leaking.
A layer of tape was also provided at necessary regions to avoid water proofing. The
bearings used were of dimensions 8mm x 3mm x 4mm as shown Figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6: Manufactured tail body
(a) Dismantelled components (b) Assembled Shell
Figure 5.7: CNC manufactured components
The bot is designed and manufactured as five different components as shown in Figure
5.7 (a), for the ease of re-usability by dismantelling it. The manufactured parts include:
• The payload casing (nose part).
• The front body that is manufactured in two halves.
• The tail part which is also produced in two halves.
• The caudal fin attachment
The above individual components are assembled as shown in Figure 5.7 (b).

5.1.1 Integration of parts
An optimised mapping of the mechanical and electronic components was done and the
components were placed such that they did not disturb the Moment of Inertia axis and
the Centre of gravity of the Fishbot (Refer Figure 5.9). Housing a bearing of precise
dimension as that of the servo shaft’s diameter promises to avoid water leakage to a
significant level.
Figure 5.8: Housing of Bearing
Figure 5.9: Assembly side view
5.2 Pre-test Requirements

Before the test could be carried out, a assessment of the potential dangers during testing
was completed .Next, all the required equipment was evaluated to ensure correct func-
tioning. Then, the prototype was visually inspected to establish that it was assembled
in an appropriate manner. Additionally, the model was submerged in the water tank to
check the existence of any leakages and the leakage points(marked by the presence of
bubbles) are rectified. Finally, the testing area was cleared for testing to begin. The
major challenge of water proofing was overcome by using tight fit rubber O-rings in the

presence of holes. Later the gaps were given a tight filling with clay and then it was
covered with a water proof tape.
Figure 5.10: Exploded view
Figure 5.11: Placement of components

5.3 Cruise test

The speed of the bot is measured under the cruise test where in the bot is made to swim
under steady flow environment along a straight line. The cruise speed when the bot
was made to flap its tail at frequency of 0.5Hz was found to be 10.4cm/s as shown
in Figure(5.13). This frequency was used based on the calculations made on Strouhal
number. There is a difference in the velocity noticed because of the losses involved
which are produced by the water’s damping force and servo friction underwater. The
thrust estimated from the velocity is 0.3N which reinforces the fact that the motion
produced is elegant and highly efficient.
Figure 5.12: Cruise test
Figure 5.13: Cruise speed estimation
The cruise test was conducted for different cases as illustrated in plot shown in Figure
5.14. It is inferred that at lower frequencies and tail beat amplitude, the bot cruises at
lower speeds and can go undetected because of less turbulence. At higher frequencies
and amplitude, the turbulence induced overpowers the steady cruising condition of the
bot and the efficiency of swimming is lost. Whereas at an optimal frequency of tail

flapping and beat amplitude, the fish bot proved to move efficiently at an higher speed
and by producing relatively weaker wakes.
Figure 5.14: Test cases
5.4 Turn test
Figure 5.15: Turn test

The turn test is also carried out in similar flow conditions and the rate of turn is estimated
about a vertical axis to the plane of rotation. The bot produced a turn rate of 5.75◦ /s
under steady flow conditions.
Figure 5.16: Turn rate estimation

CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS Fish-Bot
Chapter 6
Conclusions
• The bot is able to achieve the mentioned degrees of freedom motion with the ease
of fish propulsion. The user can also control the depth of the bot because of the
incorporation of the concept of neutral buoyancy which allows it to move freely
underwater with a little thrust directed towards the direction of pitch.
• The diveplanes employed will help in achieving the required pitch maneuver to
direct the thrust. The images are able to be captured by the camera and it can
be accessed once the bot is retrieved. The range of controlled communication is
until 1.5m under the surface of water when the signal is transferred from air to
water.
• The concept of undulatory motion using phase lag between the body and the tail
is achieved according to the calculations and hence the physical concept can be
applied to any given body of particular dimesion.
• The concepts for operating the MFC actuator as an undulating tail is developed
according to the supportive principles derived from the simulation work.
• A nature inspired model has been developed for encasing the different compo-
nents required for accommodating the MFC and other relevant accessories. So
the MFC bot can be also made to swim underwater with its available thrust.
6.1 Future work

The finalised biomimetic robotic fish prototype is controlled by user input and is capa-
ble of swimming in a straight horizontal path at a range of speeds.
The major challenge faced is in the communication module of the prototype. The range
achieved by the wireless Bluetooth module is only for a few meters and gives a sluggish

response ,which can be improvised by using a lower frequency bandwidth communica-

tion module. Ultrasonic communication and ranging is another option which promises
a better control of the bot underwater.
The prototype’s underwater range can be improved by changing the Bluetooth module
bandwidth to a lower frequency. To incorporate capabilities to perform marine surveil-
lance to the robotic fish a series of sensors can be added. There are many sensors
compatible with the model’s micro-controller, whose data can be fed-back into the user
interface for further processing. An ultrasonic distance sensor may be added to aid
obstacle avoidance.

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Appendix A
The following User defined function is used to define the mesh motion of the tail under
water with the tip displacement and frequency obtained from the structural analysis.
CODE:
#include "udf.h" // package import to library

#define Freq 3.0
#define angular_freq 2.0*M_PI*Freq // angular frequency
#define tetmax 8.0*M_PI/180 // angular Amplitude
DEFINE_CG_MOTION(shm, dt, cg_vel, cg_omega, time, dtime)
// predefined function with parameters as arguments
{
real omega;
omega=tetmax*angular_freq*cos(angular_freq*time);
// Differentiation(displacement in SHM) as in V =A *W*Cos(W*t)
cg_vel[0]=0.0;
cg_vel[1]=0.0;
cg_vel[2]=0.0;
cg_omega[0]=0.0;
cg_omega[1]=0.0;
cg_omega[2]=omega; // angular velocity
}

Appendix B
The following Arduino based code is employed in the micro-controller to control the
motion of the fish bot by the successive control of the servo motors-
#include <Servo.h>
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
Servo myservo_height;
Servo myservo_dir_speed;
SoftwareSerial serial1(8,12);
int pos_height = 90;

int pos_dir_speed = 90;
char cmd=’x’;
char temp;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
serial1.begin(9600);
myservo_height.attach(10);
myservo_dir_speed.attach(11);
// bt.begin(9600);
void speed_fast()
{
pos_height = 90; //Constant height
for (; pos_dir_speed <= 120; pos_dir_speed += 1)
{

myservo_dir_speed.write(pos_dir_speed);
delay(10); //Decrease the delay value to increase the speed
}
for (; pos_dir_speed >= 60; pos_dir_speed -= 1)
{
}
}
void speed_slow()
{
{
delay(10); //Increase the delay value to decrease the speed
}
{
}
}
void dir_left()
{
{
delay(10); /Increase the delay value to decrease the speed

}
{
}
}
void dir_right()
{
{
}
{
}
}
void up_fast()
{
for (; pos_height >=70; pos_height -= 1)
{
myservo_height.write(pos_height);
}
{

}
{
}
}
void up_slow()
{
for (; pos_height >= 70; pos_height -= 1)
{
}
{
}
{
}
}
void down_fast()
{
for (; pos_height <= 110; pos_height += 1)

{
}
{
}
{
}
void down_slow()
{
for (; pos_height <= 110; pos_height += 1)
{
}
{
}
{


}
}
void loop()
{
while (1)
{ //Do nothing as no cmd received
//cmd = serial1.read();
//Serial.print("Here You Go\n");
temp=serial1.read();
if( (temp == ’L’ || temp == ’R’ || temp == ’F’ || temp == ’S’
|| temp == ’U’ || temp ==’u’ || temp == ’D’ || temp == ’d’)
/*&& temp != cmd*/)
cmd=temp;
Serial.println(cmd);
if ( cmd == ’L’)
dir_left();
else
if ( cmd == ’R’)
dir_right();
else
if ( cmd == ’F’)
speed_fast();
else
if ( cmd == ’S’)
speed_slow();
else
if ( cmd == ’U’)
up_fast();
if ( cmd == ’u’)

up_slow();
else
if ( cmd == ’D’)
down_fast();
else
if ( cmd == ’d’)
down_slow();
}
// delay(100);
}

Dynamic Equivalent load simulation using smart actuators
F. Promio Charles a,b Chandra Prakash Venkatesh B Gowtham Reddy G
a
Aerospace Dept, RVCE Aerospace Dept, RVCE Aerospace Dept, RVCE Aerospace Dept, RVCE
RV Vidyanikethan Post, RV Vidyanikethan Post, RV Vidyanikethan RV Vidyanikethan Post,
Mysore Road Mysore Road Post, Mysore Road Mysore Road
Bengalure-560059 Bengalure-560059 Bengalure-560059 Bengalure-560059
Karnataka, India Karnataka, India Karnataka, India Karnataka, India
b
Research Scholar, AcSIR 8197816461 9449541925 8123115150
NAL campus chandraprakash.ae15@r venkateshb.ae15@rvce. gowthamreddyg.ae15@rvce.
New Delhi- 201002 vce.edu.in edu.in edu.in
9036546003
promiocharlesf@rvce.edu.in
Abstract— Smart actuator has been gaining momentum as a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................. 6

replacement to conventional actuator due its light weight,
optimal rigidity, high performance actuation and low REFERENCES…………………………………...…7
complexity in manufacturing and functioning. This paper
presents in detail a prevue of problems arising in this area.
Smart actuator is the one which acts both as sensor and as well
1. INTRODUCTION
as actuator. In this current work we deal with the use of Macro
Fiber Composite (MFC) of different dimensions and properties The main objective of this paper is to perform dynamic
in arriving at the given task. The deflections of certain mode response analysis on an MFC bonded cantilever plate. In
shapes of MFC are of keen importance in practical applicability order to achieve this, initially the properties of the cantilever
like Wing Morphing and Stiffening of Structures, precision plate and the MFC are studied individually. The values for
valve actuation, health monitoring.
the associated parameters of the MFC are studied and verified
The present work emphasizes on the use of smart actuator in with the standard values [1].The two important parameters
studying both the static and dynamic characteristics of the given which govern the working of MFC are the Blocking force and
cantilever plate structure. In order to understand the structural the free strain, which was verified for MFC-8557-P1 [5].This
behavior, it is essential to understand the capability and work focuses on two MFCs namely MFC-5628-P1/P2 and
response of the MFC alone. Later the effect of MFC bonded on MFC-4010-P1.From the analysis carried out with the MFC,
the structure is analyzed. The influence of input voltage on MFC the actuator that closely matches the values for the different
is studied and the dynamic equivalent load simulation using parameters with the standard values is chosen. The
smart actuator is presented. Structural displacements are deflection, strain and the blocking force are extracted, and
validated for both mechanical loading and equivalent forcing
scale factors are derived to account for the errors which vary
voltage. Dynamic loads such as sinusoidal and other wave forms
are applied and the results are matched with the respective linearly with voltage applied .These scale factors are utilized
dynamic equivalent voltage induced deflections. To achieve this, to formulate the relation between the applied voltage and the
the scale factor for the given geometry and boundary conditions deflection that needs to be produced. This work also deals
is computed and the same was used in validating for different with determining an optimum location for the placement of
loading conditions. This paper presents in detail the complete the MFC actuator on the plate so that it uses the actuator in
procedure to obtain the scale factor in extracting exact results the most efficient way. The point of bonding of MFC is found
that can be practically experimented on a real time structural using normal mode analysis of the plate. After performing
problem. normal mode analysis for the plate, the MFCs are placed on
the plate at the identified locations from the results of the
TABLE OF CONTENTS analysis and once again the modal analysis is performed to
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………….1 analyze the effect of the actuator as a structural element. Once
the bonding location is fixed, static and dynamic analysis is
2. METHODOLOGY………………………............2
performed on the plate. Loads of dynamic nature such as
3. SYSTEM MODELLING WITH MFC ………...2 sinusoidal and linear time varying loads are applied and the
4. NORMAL MODE ANALYSIS............................3 corresponding deflections are extracted. The same is repeated
5. MATHEMATICAL MODEL…………………..4 by applying a calculated voltage across the MFC to induce
6. CHOICE OF ACTUATOR……………………..4 the equivalent mechanical load on the plate and the
7. DYNAMIC LOAD SIMULATION………….....5 deflections obtained are matched and validated. The primary
8. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION………………...6 focus is on D33 operational mode in which the numeral
9. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK……....6 specifies the direction of voltage application and resultant
deflection respectively. Using these modes of operation, the
978-1-5386-6854-2/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE
1
final objective is to obtain an equivalent FEM model which modeled and meshed [5]. In order to study the behavior of the
can produce the required dynamic action on the plate and plate, the MFC modeling was done taking into considerations
hence derive a relation between the deflection required and both d31 and d33 effect. To achieve dynamic load simulation,
the voltage that needs to be applied. the MFC was modeled with positive and negative
components as shown in figure (2).
2. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Structural Model
2.1 Flowchart
Model a structural element to test the MFC
Decide on the MFC based on the requirement
Model, analyze and verify the parameters of the MFC

and choose the one that closely matches its standard
values
Figure 1. Structure with boundary condition

Perform modal analysis on the cantilever plate to
determine the location of the placment of MFC
Static mechanical load analysis of the plate with MFC
Static voltage induced deflection with MFC for its

equivalent mechanical model
Figure 2. MFC d33 Modeling
The considered plate is having the dimension 400mm x 300

Comparision of voltage induced deflection with forced mm and is meshed with ‘C3D8’ element type. The plate is
induced deflection
modeled to have 2mm thickness and the material properties
are enlisted in the Table(2).
If the deflections match in magnitude and direction, Table 1. MFC properties
then derive the direct relation or else compute error
and determine the scale factor Properties Values
d33 4.0e+02 pC/N
d31 -1.7e+02pC/N
Matching of dynamic load deflection with voltage
Tensile Modulus E1 30.33GPa
induced deflection
Tensile Modulus E2 15.867GPa
Poisson’s ratio µ12 0.31
2.2 Problem-Definition Shear modulus,G12 5.515 GPa
Active length 40mm
1. Actuator modeling on the given plate model
Active Width 10mm
2. Transient response studies for given loading conditions
Free Strain 1400ppm
3. Computing the required scale factor to induce equivalent
Blocking Force 126N
voltage
4. Dynamic equivalent load simulation for different loading Maximum operational positive 1500 V
condition and validation voltage, Vmax for d33 MFC (P1)
Maximum operational negative 500 V
voltage, Vmin for d33 MFC (P1)
3. SYSTEM MODELING WITH MFC Maximum operating temperature <80°C
ACTUATOR Thickness for all MFC Types Approx. 0.3mm
In the present study, rectangular cantilever plate is considered
assuming the same way by which aircraft wing is connected
The deflection of the MFC is transferred to the cantilever
to the fuselage. A 3D solid plate structure with MFC is
plate, which is then amplified and applied to the get
2
corresponding plate stress and strains which is computed knn = φT [k ]φ
based on the amplified displacements values. Similarly the
MFC is also modeled and meshed with ‘C3D8E’ element that
Table 3. Mode shapes
accounts for anisotropic and orthotropic properties. The plate
is meshed with 43750 elements whereas the MFC patch is
meshed with 900 elements with a total of 4 MFC patches (4 WITH MFC WITHOUT MFC
x 900=3600), two on the top and two on the bottom of the DOMAIN
plate. MODEL
Table 2. Cantilever plate material properties
Material Properties Value

MODE 1 First Bending Mode
Material Aluminum
Young’s modulus 70GPa
Poisson’s ratio 0.3
Density 2750 Kg/m3
Element C3D8
MODE 2 First Torsion Mode
4. NORMAL MODE ANALYSIS

To characterize the dynamic behavior of the given structure,
it is essential to perform modal analysis. To obtain the
structural parameters like mode shapes and frequencies, the
normal mode analysis is performed assuming free vibration
on undamped structure. The mathematical procedure to MODE 3 Second Bending Mode
obtain modal frequency, modal stiffness and modal mass is
derived starting from equation of motion.
Mx + Cx + kx = F
Considering free vibration on undamped structure, we have MODE 4 Second Torsion Mode
Mx + kx = 0
Assuming the response as harmonic motion,
we have x = eiωt
Therefore x = (iω)[ x ] MODE 5 Anti-symmetric Bending Mode
And x = (iω)2[ x]

Hence [−M ω2 + k ][ x] = 0
The above equation is solved as Eigen value problem
Where [k − M ω2 ][ x] = [ A − λI ][φ]
For non-trivial solution, k − M ω2 = 0 In the present work, the primary objective is not only to
obtain high mode shapes and frequencies, but also to identify
high strain induced region. By identifying high strain region
Therefore ω= k / M [4], the chosen MFC is bonded to achieve the given objective.
From the above equation, it is known that {x} contains Eigen The frequencies and mode shapes of the given structure with
vector { φ } which has the response of the given structure for and without MFC is compared and is shown in Table (3).The
the given natural frequency from Eigen vectors, modal mass frequencies comparison is shown in Table (4).
and modal stiffness are obtained by
Mnn = φT [ M ]φ
3
Table 4. Modal Frequencies as well as the bottom surface (figure(1)). Placement of the
actuators on the neutral axis is avoided as there is no
Frequency Frequency significant change observed.
Sl.no Description (Hz) (Hz) In the present study, the plate model was tested taking into
With MFC Without consideration both d33 and d31 effect of the MFC. And the
MFC effect of the same is discussed.
1 Mode 1 8.6270 8.575
2 Mode 2 30.624 30.596 6. CHOICE OF ACTUATOR
3 Mode 3 57.108 57.135 d33-The polarization direction is along the direction of the
layers of MFC
4 Mode 4 100.53 100.59 d31- The polarization direction is perpendicular to the
5 Mode 5 112.59 112.51 direction of the layers of MFC
Among the two actuators, the actuator is chosen based on the
problem definition and in comparison with the deviation of
simulated model with standard model, which is given in the
5. MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE table below.
ACTUATOR The results obtained from the simulation are verified for d31
and d33 modes of operation and is shown in the below tables.
For a practical applicability of MFC in laboratory testing and
real time testing, the characteristic behavior of the
Table 5. MFC P2 type-5628(d31)
piezoelectric material for the given mechanical and
equivalent voltage loads is studied with the required
Parameter Actual Obtained Percentage
mathematical model [3] which represents the actual model
formulated and the constitutive equations relating strain and value Value Deviation
stress which is also a force based formulation is shown below Blocking -205N 128.7236N 37.208
Force
Free strain -820ppm 723ppm 11.83
σ=CEε - eTE (1)
D=eε + ξεE (2) Table 6. MFC P2 type-5628(d33)

σ = stress vector, D = matrix of piezoelectric strain constants Parameter Actual Obtained Percentage
(m/V); CE – elastic stiffness matrix (N/m2) calculated at
value Value Deviation
constant electric field, e – piezoelectric stress coefficients
matrix (N/m·V = C/m2) (T denotes matrix transpose), and ξε Blocking 450N 221.236N 50.83
– matrix of dielectric permittivity coefficients (F/m)
Force
calculated at constant strain.
Free strain 1800ppm 1360ppm 24.4
Table 7. MFC P1 type -4010(d33)
Parameter Actual Obtained Percentage

value Value Deviation
Blocking 126N 88.512N 29.75
Force
Free strain 1400ppm 1240ppm 11.42
From the data it can be seen that the deviations involved with
4.1 Actuator Location the 4010 P1 MFC are relatively less compared to the 5628 P2
and P1 MFC. Based on the experimental data, it was observed
From Normal Mode Analysis, the placement of the actuator that the geometry 4010 with P1 type and d33 configuration
is chosen in a way that it is most efficient to produce the serves the purpose of the problem definition. Hence further
required deflection with minimal load or voltage. In present in this work, the actuator 4010 P1 MFC is used for all
study, the actuator uses the rigidity as well as the flexibility applications.
of the plate to attain the given objective.
Hence, four actuators are placed at 95mm from the fixed end
and 72mm from the edge of the plate both on the top surface
4
7. DYNAMIC LOAD SIMULATION IN Equations (1) and (2) are equated and a generalized equation
for the voltage applied and the equivalent force is found to
TIME DOMAIN be:
6.1 Mechanical Loading (Static and Dynamic)
F= 7.7e-4 x △V (3)
Case 2: Sinusoidal:
For the same plate, voltage across the actuator is applied with
sinusoidal signal input for the known value of equivalent
force input and the displacement achieved is identified. Then
a suitable scale factor to arrive at a equivalent displacement
to that of obtained from mechanical loading is computed and
the same scale factor values are used to verify different
loading conditions. Similar to that of static loading, a
dynamic mechanical load of magnitude 1.5 N (figure(5)) is
applied at the center of the MFC and the results are shown in
the figure(6).
Figure 3. Application of mechanical load (yellow arrow depicts the
direction of force applied)
In order to prove the concept of the procedure to inject the
given mechanical load using smart actuators [2] it is essential
to compute the voltage that has to be applied across the
actuator.
In achieving this task, the plate of dimensions 400x300 mm2
is fixed at one end. With the placement of MFC at quarter
chord distance from the constraint end, the single point
mechanical load of a known magnitude is applied at the
center of the MFC figure(3) and simultaneously the
acceleration and displacement data was extracted. Figure 5. Time varying sinusoidal force input
Then a relation between the dynamic force and the maximum

plate deflection is found.
δmax(z)=0.4804F (4)
Then a relation is derived for the maximum deflection

produced and the potential difference applied.
δ (z)= 3.606e-4 x △V (5)

Figure 4. MFC bonded onto the plate at predetermined location max
The MFC, though mounted on to the plate, has negligible

effect on the resultant deflections of the plate due to its light
weight and small size.
Case 1: Ramp:
A relation between a static mechanical force and the plate

deflection is found and is written as
δ(z)=0.4684F (1)
For the static voltage input and verification, first a relation Figure 6. Output obtained according to the given input
between deflection and voltage is required, which needs to be
applied to attain the given displacement as given below Equations (4) and (5) are equated and a generalized equation
for the voltage applied and the equivalent dynamic force it
δ(z)= 3.606e-4 x △V (2) produces is found.
F= 7.506e-4 x △V (5)
5
Case 3: Random signal:
It was observed that the scale factor which was computed for 9. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
the given geometry and boundary condition gave exact
results in attaining the deflection with minimum error. The work on dynamic equivalent load using smart actuators
can be used as a standard procedure in the future to validate
Equivalent voltage to inject mechanical loads [6] is estimated the real time structural behavior, which uses MFC’s. The
from the Equation (5), the output results (acceleration and methods adopted can be used as basis to validate the scale
displacement) for the same is verified with the actual values factor with the gain factor from experiment to achieve
using the computed scale factor. equivalent displacements.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank Dr. K.N. Subramanya, Principal of RV
College of Engineering for giving this opportunity. We are
grateful to Dr. Ravindra S Kulkarni, HOD, Aerospace
Department, RV College of Engineering and the associated
staff for their support in the work. We also extend our
gratitude to Dr.S.Raja, Chief Scientist, Dynamics & Adaptive
Figure 7.Displacement due to applied force
Structures, Structural Technologies Division, National
Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India, who provided
insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research.
REFERENCES
[1]Smart materials data handbook website.
https://www.smartmaterial.com/media/Datasheets/MFC_V2
.3-Web-full-brochure.pdf
Figure 8. Displacement due to applied voltage
[2] Shun-Qi Zhang, Ya-Xi Li, Rüdiger Schmidt. Modeling
and simulation of macro-fiber composite layered smart
structures, February 2015 Composite Structures 126 (2015)
89–100.
[3] LATALSKI J: Modelling of macro fiber composite

piezoelectric active elements in ABAQUS system.
Eksploatacja i Niezawodnosc - Maintenance and Reliability
2011; 4: 72-78.
[4] Promio Charles F., Raja Samikkannu, Niranjan K.

Sura, Shanwaz Mulla, (2018) "System identification-based
aeroelastic modelling for wing flutter", Aircraft Engineering
and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 90 Issue: 2, pp.261-
269, https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-08-2016-0122.
Figure 9. Force and voltage induced displacement verification
[5] Christopher Rhys Bowen, Peter F. Giddings, Aki I. T.

Salo, and Hyunsun Alicia Kim. Modeling and
8. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Characterization of Piezoelectrically Actuated Bistable
The procedure presented in the current work is important in Composites, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics,
obtaining the scale factor for static and dynamic responses. It Ferroelectrics, and Frequency control, vol. 58, no. 9,
is observed that the scale factor for the given MFC depends September 2011
on the given structural model and boundary condition. By
obtaining the exact scale factor, it is possible to inject the [6] Jaroslaw Gawryluk, Andrzej Mitura, Andrzej Teter.
required voltage to induce equivalent mechanical loads. It is Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Static Deflection
observed from the current study that the scale factor remains of the Composite Beam with the MFC Element, Mechanics
the same for different type of loads that are applied at the and Mechanical Engineering Vol. 20, No. 2 (2016) 97–
same location where the MFC is bonded and as it is seen that 108 Lodz University of Technology7.
the displacement obtained is in close agreement with the
actual results. [7] Promio Charles, Samikkannu Raja, Ashwin Umesh,
6
Niranjan K Sura, Aerodynamic Force Injection through
Smart Actuators. (2017).
BIOGRAPHY
Chandra Prakash is currently pursuing

his B.E in aerospace engineering from RV college of
Engineering. He has been involved in solar car team for the
past 3 years and attended numerous workshops and has been
part of world solar car challenge held in Australia.
Promio Charles received his master’s degree from

Visvesvaraya technological university (VTU), Belgaum.
Presently pursuing his Ph.D. from academic of scientific and
innovative research (AcSIR), NAL Bangalore. He has been in
CSIR-NAl for more than 6 years working in the field of aero
elasticity and doing research on GVT based flutter
prediction. Presently he is working as assistant professor in
(aerospace department) in RV college of Engineering,
Bangalore
Gowtham Reddy G is currently pursuing

his B.E in aerospace engineering in RV college of
Engineering. He is presently involved in project based on
application of smart actuators and has taken up courses
relevant to his field of study and research.
Venkatesh B is currently pursuing his B.E

in aerospace engineering in RV college of Engineering. He
has taken keen interest on the aerospace application of smart
actuators and has been involved in research based on
analysis of the behavior of smart actuators.

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R V COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING®, BENGALURU- 59

(Autonomous Institution Affiliated to VTU, Belagavi)

MAJOR PROJECT REPORT

DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FISH-BOT USING SMART ACTUATORS

Under the guidance of

Department of Aerospace Engineering

This report is presented as part of the requirements for the Evaluation of

Department of Aerospace Engineering

DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Signature of Guide Signature of Head of Department Signature of Principal

Name of Examiners Signature with date

DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

We, B Venkatesh (1RV15AS011), Chandra Prakash (1RV15AS013), Chetan V Talikoti

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE i 2018-2019

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE ii 2018-2019

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS vi

2 Theory and Concepts 7

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE iii 2018-2019

2.8 Forces Acting on Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3 Design and Implementation 23

5 Assembly and Testing 47

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE iv 2018-2019

5.1 Implementation and Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE v 2018-2019

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & SYMBOLS

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE vi 2018-2019

Figure 1.1: Ocean Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Figure 2.1: Smart materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Figure 3.1: MFC vs Servo based bot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE vii 2018-2019

Figure 4.1: Arduino UNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Figure 5.1: Modelled payload capsule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE viii 2018-2019

Figure 5.4: Manufactured head body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE ix 2018-2019

3.1 Tail Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE x 2018-2019

Figure 1.1: Ocean Pollution

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 1 2018-2019

Figure 1.2: Ship or Plane Wreckage Assistance

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 2 2018-2019

Figure 1.3: Fish Propulsion

Figure 1.4: S-shape and C-shape swimming modes

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 3 2018-2019

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 4 2018-2019

1.2 Problem Statement

”To design, fabricate and implement an efficient hydrodynamic based remotely

Figure 1.5: Methodology

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 5 2018-2019

• To design and integrate a compatible tail for motion mechanism.

To meet the above objectives, a background study followed by an extensive literature

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 6 2018-2019

Theory and Concepts

2.1 Introduction to smart materials

3. Shape memory alloys

4. Electro-Rheological fluid, etc.

They can be used as force transducers and actuators.

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 7 2018-2019

most common example of this kind of material.

Figure 2.1: Smart materials

Dept. of Aerospace Engg, RVCE 8 2018-2019

Figure 2.2: Smart Structure

2.2 Understanding Micro Fibre Composites(MFC)