Bionic Gliding Underwater Robots: Design, Control, and Implementation

Underwater robots play a significant role in ocean exploration. This book provides full coverage of the theoretical and practical aspects of bionic gliding underwater robots, including system design, modeling control, and motion planning.

To overcome the inherent shortcomings of traditional underwater robots that can simultaneously lack maneuverability and endurance, a new type of robot, the bionic gliding underwater robot, has attracted much attention from scientists and engineers. On the one hand, by imitating the appearance and swimming mechanisms of natural creatures, bionic gliding underwater robots achieve high maneuverability, swimming efficiency, and strong concealment. On the other hand, borrowing from the buoyancy adjustment systems of underwater gliders, bionic gliding underwater robots can obtain strong endurance, which is significant in practical applications. Taking gliding robotic dolphin and fish as examples, the designed prototypes and proposed methods are discussed, offering valuable insights into the development of next-generation underwater robots that are well suited for various oceanic applications.

This book will be of great interest to students and professionals alike in the field of robotics or intelligent control. It will also be a great reference for engineers or technicians who deal with the development of underwater robots.

Junzhi Yu is a professor in the Department of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, Peking University, China, and a guest researcher at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include bionic robots, intelligent control, and intelligent mechatronic systems. He has authored or co-authored five monographs and published more than 100 science citation index papers in prestigious robotics and automation–related journals. He has successively been listed among the Most Cited Researchers in China between 2014 and 2020. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Zhengxing Wu is currently a professor with the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current research interests include bio-inspired robots and intelligent control systems.

Jian Wang is currently an assistant professor with the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include bio-inspired underwater robots and intelligent control systems.

Min Tan is currently a professor with the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has published more than 200 papers in journals, books, and conference proceedings. His research interests include robotics and intelligent control systems.