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Deformable tensegrity structure underwater robot with a transformation mechanism

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Abstract

Underwater robots for inspecting marine structures such as breakwaters, pipes and quay walls require mobility not only for self-transport but for rotation during inspection. To facilitate rotation mobility, we have proposed a portable, lightweight underwater robot whose performance to translate and rotate is achieved by it altering its shape. The shape is that of a three-strut tensegrity structure of three pipes connected with rubber strings. This manuscript describes a transformation mechanism for an underwater robot with a deformable tensegrity structure. The transformation mechanism includes a winding unit with a planetary gear. We show that the transformation mechanism has a self-locking feature by selecting a high gear ratio of the winding unit. We also evaluate the fluid characteristics of the robot with the transformation mechanism in several experiments in a circulating water tank to investigate the effect of the transformation mechanism.

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Acknowledgements

This research was partly supported by a fund for Takahashi Industrial and Economic Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kindai University, Higashi-hiroshima, Japan

    Mizuho Shibata

  2. Tokai University, Shizuoka, Japan

    Norimitsu Sakagami

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  1. Mizuho Shibata
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  2. Norimitsu Sakagami
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Correspondence to Mizuho Shibata.

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This work was presented in part at the 24th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics Beppu, Oita, January 23–25, 2019.

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Shibata, M., Sakagami, N. Deformable tensegrity structure underwater robot with a transformation mechanism. Artif Life Robotics 25, 100–105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10015-019-00563-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10015-019-00563-9

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