Modboat Is a Low-Cost Robot That Swims Using Only One Motor
Controlled by an ESP8266, this inexpensive robotic boat prototype could be used in a swarm for enhanced capabilities
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP (General Robotics, Automation, Sensing, and Perception) Laboratory have developed Modboat — a low-cost aquatic robot capable of propelling itself with a single actuator.
The boat-bot is cylindrical in shape and consists of an upper section designed to keep its batteries, ESP8266-based controller, and motor dry, while the lower “flipper” section swings back and forth under the power of one gearmotor for movement.
As this lower section turns, the flippers swing open and shut, restricted by hard stops. This configuration enables them produce force through the water in one direction, and retract out of the way in the other for movement. The craft then waddles forward using angular momentum, with its direction dictated by the relative speed of each stroke.
Although the Modboat isn’t a particularly good swimmer, it is very simple. This allows the prototype to be made for roughly $122, a number that could be reduced significantly in production. While one of these robots would be of limited use, several of them could be linked together for enhanced swimming characteristics, or arranged as a swarm. The idea is that while one might not perform correctly on its own, the team as a whole could be relied upon to accomplish a task.
For more details on this wonderful watercraft, check out the the project's full research paper.