• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.782-790
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose a better solution for swimming plans of an articulated underwater robot, Crabster, with a view point of biomimetics. As a biomimetic model of underwater organisms, we chose diving beetles structurally similar to Crabster. Various swimming locomotion of the diving beetle has been observed and sorted by robotics technology through experiments with a high-speed camera and image processing software Image J. Subsequently, coordinated patterns of rhythmic movements of the diving beetle are reproduced by simple control parameters in a parameter space which make it easy to control trajectories and velocities of legs. Furthermore, a simulation was implemented with an approximated model to predict the motion of the robot under development based on the classified forward and turning locomotion. Consequently, we confirmed the applicability of parameterized leg locomotion to the articulated underwater robot through the simulated results by the approximated model.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2012

In these days, researches about underwater robots have been actively in progress for the purposes of ocean detection and resource exploration. Unlike general underwater robots such as ROV(Remotely Operated Vehicle) and AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) which have propellers, an articulated underwater robot which is called Crabster has been being developed in KORDI(Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute) with many cooperation organizations since 2010. The robot is expected to be able to walk and swim under the sea with its legs. Among many researching fields of this project, we are focusing on a swimming section. In order to find effective swimming locomotion for the robot, we approached this subject in terms of Biomimetics. As a model of optimized swimming organism in nature, diving beetles were chosen. In the paper, swimming motions of diving beetles were analyzed in viewpoint of robotics for applying them into the swimming motion of the robot. After modeling the kinematics of diving beetle through robotics engineering technique, we obtained swimming patterns of the one of living diving beetles, and then compared them with calculated optimal swimming patterns of a robot leg. As the first trial to compare the locomotion data of legs of the diving beetle with a robot leg, we have sorted two representative swimming patterns such as forwarding and turning. Experimental environment has been set up to get the motion data of diving beetles. The experimental equipment consists of a transparent aquarium and a high speed camera. Various swimming motions of diving beetles were recorded with the camera. After classifying swimming patterns of the diving beetle, we can get angular data of each joint on hind legs by image processing software, Image J. The data were applied to an optimized algorithm for swimming of a robot leg which was designed by robotics engineering technique. Through this procedure, simulated results which show trajectories of a robot leg were compared with trajectories of a leg of a diving beetle in desired directions. As a result, we confirmed considerable similarity in the result of trajectory and joint angles comparison.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2014

This paper describes the design concept of a bio-inspired legged underwater and estimating its performance by implementing simulations. Especially the leg structure of an underwater organism, diving beetles, is fully adopted to our designing to employ its efficiency for swimming. To make it possible for the robot to both walk and swim, the transformable kinematic model according to applications of the leg is proposed. To aid in the robot development and estimate swimming performance of the robot in advance, an underwater simulator has been constructed and an approximated model based on the developing robot was set up in the simulation. Furthermore, previous work that we have done, the swimming locomotion produced by a swimming patten generator based on the control parameters, is briefly mentioned in the paper and adopted to the simulation for extensive studies such as path planning and control techniques. Through the results, we established the strategy of leg joints which make the robot swim in the three dimensional space to reach effective controls.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.33-37
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• 2008

The interaction between artificial fish and aquatic surroundings and the fish's realistic locomotion are very important elements to construct virtual aquariums. In general, the artificial fish in virtual aquariums used to be created by 3D modeling tools, and was repeatedly showing the simple and constant form of swimming. This paper will analyze the sorts of biological forms of fish-swimming and the propelling and turning characteristics. Then, we propose a method of the basic swimming and turning of artificial fish to generate various and natural-looking locomotion. It is possible to make a explorable virtual aquarium more immersive by using interactive interfaces together.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.18-22
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• 2014

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an undulatory nematode which exhibits two distinct locomotion types of swimming and crawling. Although in its natural habitat C. elegans lives in a non-Newtonian fluidic environment, our current understanding has been limited to the behavior of C. elegans in a simple Newtonian fluid. Here, we present some experimental results on the penetrating behavior of C. elegans at the interface from liquid to solid environment. Once C. elegans, which otherwise swims freely in a liquid, makes a contact to the solid gel boundary, it begins to penetrate vertically to the surface by changing its stroke motion characterized by a stiffer body shape and a slow stroke frequency. The particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis reveals the flow streamlines produced by the stroke of worm. For the worm that crawls on a solid surface, we utilize a technique of traction force microscopy (TFM) to find that the crawling nematode forms localized force islands along the body where makes direct contacts to the gel surface.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.341-348
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• 2011

The study of bacterial flagellar swimming motion remains an interesting and challenging research subject in the fields of hydrodynamics and bio-locomotion. This swimming motion is characterized by very low Reynolds numbers, which is unique and time reversible. In particular, the effect of rotation of helical flagella of bacterium on swimming motion requires detailed multi-disciplinary analysis. Clear understanding of such swimming motion will not only be beneficial for biologists but also to engineers interested in developing nanorobots mimicking bacterial swimming. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of a three dimensional single flagellated bacteria has been developed and the fluid flow around the flagellum is investigated. CFD-based modeling studies were conducted to find the variables that affect the forward thrust experienced by the swimming bacterium. It is found that the propulsive force increases with increase in rotational velocity of flagellum and viscosity of surrounding fluid. It is also deduced from the study that the forward force depends on the geometry of helical flagella (directly proportional to square of the helical radius and inversely proportional to pitch).

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2009

Thanks to the development of computer graphics, Animation can be easily accessed through movies or games. The users can meet various contents and are asking for high quality animations that resembles reality to a near perfection. The research is proceeded to observe the fish shapes and swimming movements through cyber aquariums, fish ecology museums and fish encyclopedias. The core of expressing undersea scenery is the natural and dynamic movements of the fish. In this thesis in order to achieve the natural shape of fish swimming, it is necessary to design a fish growth process system based on environmental factors and apply different standard points depending on the various swimming types of fish species to express the fish as near reality as possible. And by calculating the different swimming velocities of different standard points, a natural swimming shape will be achieved.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.164-169
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• 2009

Study on swimming of microorganisms like, sperm motility, cilia beating, bacterial flagellar propulsion has found immense significance in the field of biological fluiddynamics. Because of the complexity involved, it is challenging for the researchers to model such problems. Immersed boundary method has proved its efficacy in the field of biological fluiddynamics, The present work aims at performing a numerical study on the microorganism locomotion using the immersed boundary method proposed by Peskin[1]. A two-dimensional model of the microorganism is modeled as thin elastic filament described as a sine wave. The neutrally buoyant organism undergoing deformations is immersed in a viscous and incompressible fluid. The fluid quantities are described using Eulerian coordinates and the immersed body is represented by Lagrangian coordinates. The Eulerian and Lagrangian variables are connected by the Dirac delta function. The Navier-Stokes equations governing the fluid flow are solved using the fractional step method on a staggered Cartesian grid system. The developed numerical code in FORTRAN will be validated by comparing the numerical results with the available results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.294-298
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• 2008

The ionic polymer-metal composite actuators with selectively grown multiple electrodes were developed to mimic the swimming locomotion of a fish. The developed method is based on combining electroplating with the electroless chemical reduction using the patterned mask. The advantages of this fabrication method are that the initial compositing between the polymer and platinum particles can be assured by the chemical reduction method, and the thickness of each electrode can be controlled easily and rapidly by electroplating. By using the fabricated actuator with a multiple degree of freedom, the oscillatory wave of the flexible membrane actuator was generated and a twisting motion was also realized to verify the possibility of mimicking the fish-like locomotion. The frequency response function was analyzed to investigate the natural frequency and the damping factor by a mechanical shaker and direct electrical excitation through the swept-sine method. Present results show that this novel method can be a promising technique to easily pattern each of multiple electrodes and to implement the biomimetic motion of the polymer actuators with good mechanical bending performance.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.415-420
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• 2007

Creatures in nature flap their wings to generate fluid dynamic forces that are required for the locomotion. Small-size creatures do not use flapping wings. Thus, it is questionable at which Reynolds number the propulsion using the flapping wings are effective. In this paper, the onset conditions of the thrust generation from the combined motion of flat plates (heaving, pitching in the motion and also tandem, biplane in the array) is investigated using a Lattice Boltzmann method. To solve the pitching motion of the plate on the regularly spaced lattices, 2-D moving boundary condition was implemented. The present method is validated by comparing the wake patterns behind a oscillating circular cylinder and its hydrodynamic characteristics with the CFD results. Present method can be applied to the design of micro flapping propulsors for biomedical use.