Turning analysis and its implementation of link-based dolphin-like robots

This paper addresses the turning issues of a multilink dolphin-like robot with a pair of mechanical flippers. The propulsion and maneuvering of the robot depend on the dorsoventral oscillations of the tail and the flapping movements of the artificial flippers. Taking into account both mechanical structure and functional characteristics of the dolphin-like robot, we present a practical approach to perform planar turning maneuvers as well as its dynamic analysis. The characteristic parameters affecting turning performance primarily include deflection angle, turning radius, and turning rate, which are discussed with a comparison between the simulation results and the experiments on circular motions. Preliminary tests in a robotics context partly demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed turning scheme.