From Theory to Thrust: Revealing the Role of Actuation and Sensing in How Undulatory Swimmers Change Speed

无论是活着的游泳运动员还是机器人游泳运动员，加速都是必不可少的。鱼不断改变它们的速度来捕捉猎物，躲避捕食者，并在复杂的栖息地中机动。然而，我们缺乏一个框架来理解波动游泳者是如何改变他们的游泳速度的。更好地了解水下加速将具有重要的生物、生态和工程应用，包括能够设计生物启发的飞行器，以便更好地在沿海地区的动荡水域中游泳，在沿海地区，关键的环境监测对于了解气候变化的影响是必要的。这项研究项目旨在从生物学和工程学的角度揭示波浪型游泳者如何通过协调他们的肌肉驱动和感知自身运动和周围流动的能力来改变他们的游泳速度。研究成果将通过多媒体和K-9推广计划与公众分享。这个项目的目标是了解驱动和感知在协调加速运动学方面的作用，这些运动学允许波动的游泳者改变游泳速度。该项目将使用跨学科方法确定基本的加速机制，该方法结合了运动学的计算建模、软式机器人游泳者的水动力和运动学测试以及加速鱼的生物测试。这项研究将集中于四个具体目标：(I)建立基于物理的关系，描述驱动在加速中的作用；(Ii)确定在游泳速度极限时加速的崩溃机制；(Iii)确定在加速过程中感觉反馈活动在生物鱼类中的作用；以及(Iv)了解运动感觉和肌肉驱动是如何协调来控制加速的。通过将生物学和工程学相结合，这项研究将揭示生物和机器人波动游泳者的加速机制，这将为仿生车辆的感知运动控制提供见解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Acceleration is essential for the locomotion of both living and robotic swimmers. Fish constantly change their speed to capture prey, avoid predators, and maneuver through complex habitats. Yet, we lack a framework to understand how undulatory swimmers change their swimming speed. A greater understanding of underwater acceleration would have important biological, ecological and engineering applications, including enabling the design of bio-inspired vehicles that better swim in the turbulent waters of coastal zones where critical environmental monitoring is necessary to understand the impacts of climate change. This research project aims to use both biology and engineering perspectives to uncover how undulatory swimmers change their swimming speed by coordinating their muscle actuation with their ability to sense their own motion and the surrounding flow. Research findings will be shared with the public through multimedia and K-9 outreach programs. The goal of this project is to understand the role of actuation and sensing in coordinating the acceleratory kinematics that allow undulatory swimmers to change swimming speed. This project will identify the fundamental acceleration mechanisms using an interdisciplinary approach that combines computational modeling of kinematics, hydrodynamic and kinematic testing of soft robotic swimmers, and biological testing of accelerating fishes. This research will focus on four specific aims: (i) establishing physics-based relationships that describe the role of actuation in acceleration, (ii) identifying the breakdown mechanisms of acceleration at the limits of swimming speed, (iii) identifying the role of sensory feedback activity in biological fishes during acceleration, and (iv) understanding how kinematic sensing and muscle actuation are coordinated to control acceleration. By integrating biology and engineering, this research will uncover the acceleration mechanisms of biological and robotic undulatory swimmers which will provide insights that extend to the sensorimotor control of bio-inspired vehicles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.