Towards a Deep Water Amphibious Robotic Turtle (23-000006071)
Abstract
Incorporating terrestrial, intertidal, shallow water, and deep water sub-environments within a few hundred meters, the shoreline presents a formidable challenge for robotic locomotion. Drawing inspiration from sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea) and land tortoises (family Testudinidae), we previously developed the Amphibious Robotic Turtle (ART), a quadruped robot capable of transitioning between aquatic and terrestrial modes by morphing its limb shape from streamlined flippers to load-bearing legs and adapting its gaits. Our research demonstrated that ART s locomotion efficiency in each environment rivaled that of unimodal robots, underscoring thetransformative potential of adaptable morphology in robotic design. However, ART remains operationally constrained to relatively structured and shallow water environments. This proposed project represents a natural progression in which we intend to augment its capabilities significantly, enhancing ART s potential for Naval applications and real-world deployment. Building upon our amphibious robot platform and insights drawn from biological counterparts, we outline three research phases: (1) extending operational capability to depths exceeding 15 meters; (2) implementing autonomous decision-making and closed-loop environment transitions; and (3) refining maneuverability, stability, and overall efficiency. Our overarching objective is to develop a robot capable of autonomously and adeptly navigating diverse shoreline environments, including deep water zones. Additionally, we aim to leverage our adaptable amphibious platform to investigate when and how a robot should adapt its shape, stiffness, and behavioral control policies during multi-environment locomotion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412162
Entities
People
- Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Yale University