Modeling the rotational paddling of an ePaddle-based amphibious robot

To enhance the mobility of amphibious robots for multi-terrains tasks, we have proposed an eccentric paddle locomotion mechanism (ePaddle) with several feasible terrestrial and aquatic gaits. In this paper, we present a rigid paddle model for predicting the thrust force in one of the aquatic gaits, namely the rotational paddling gait. Thrust forces calculated by this model demonstrate the idea that by relocating the paddle shaft eccentrically from its wheel center, the rotating paddles will generate vectored thrust force for swimming. The paddling motion and the validity of the rigid paddle model are verified by experiments in a water tank.