Summary: 1
Lamprey Robots1
2
Joseph Ayers, Cricket Wilbur, Chris Olcott
Northeastern University
Marine Science Center
East Point, Nahant, MA 01908 USA
Abstract
We have developed a biologically based underwater, autonomous vehicle modeled
after a simple vertebrate, the sea lamprey. The robot consists of a cylindrical
Plexiglas electronics bay with a polyurethane undulator actuated by shape
memory alloy artificial muscles. Sensors include a compass, pitch and roll
inclinometers and sonar rangers, the signals of which are quantized into a
labeled line code. Behavioral parameters are reverse engineered from the
behavior of the target organisms.
Fig. 1 Lamprey Robot Prototype
Introduction
We have implemented a lamprey-based robot based on biomimetic
neurotechnology (Fig. 1). Lamprey swim by rhythmic lateral undulations of
the body axis. The propagating lateral axial undulations increase in

Source: Ayers, Joseph - Marine Science Center & Department of Biology, Northeastern University

Collections: Engineering