Dynamic Modeling and Path Following of a Scaled-Up Helical Swimmer Robot

Abstract

Helical micro swimmers capable of propulsion at low Reynolds numbers have been proposed for future therapeutic medical applications. However, Maneuverability and control of swimming untethered micro robots with internal actuation are still challenging. In this paper, at first, we propose a new method for maneuverability for the helical swimmer robots with single helical flagellum which by inclining between the helical axis and body axis enables them to perform turning maneuvers. To predict the behavior of this swimmer robot at various inclination angles, the swimmer's hydrodynamics model is extracted and the effect of different inclination angles on motion trajectories is investigated. Then, in order to verify the hydrodynamics model, an experimental prototype of a macro-size swimmer robot with specific inclination angles was fabricated. By using dynamics modeling of the helical swimmer motion in different inclination angles, a suitable controller is designed for path tracking purposes. From the simulation results, the tracking performance of the designed control system is perfectly guaranteed which enables the micro robot to perform the desired maneuvers and follow the defined trajectories.