In the past two decades, robotic fish have received significant interest due to their various perceived applications. Designing robotic fish is a challenging task, partly due to the delicate need of waterproofing. In addition, one needs to optimize the hydrodynamic performance while accommodating the constraints on size, cost, and feasibility of manufacturing.In this work, two bio-inspired robotic fish prototypes propelled by a pair of pectoral fins and a caudal fin have been developed. The first prototype has been used as a tool for modeling, control, and educational purposes. The second one will be used for a museum exhibit at the MSU Museum. For these robots, a novel design for pectoral fins is presented, which has demonstrated excellent hydrodynamic performance. The robotic fish is mathematically modeled by incorporating the rigid body dynamics with hydrodynamics of the caudal and pectoral fins, which are captured with Lighthill's elongated-body theory and blade element theory, respectively. The mathematical model is validated experimentally.For the second robotic fish, a wireless charging system has been developed. A mathematical model for the wireless charging system is presented and validated by experimental results. An automatic docking system is also developed, which lifts the robotic fish out of water for wireless charging and places it back in water afterwards.Finally, a webcam-based navigation system for the robotic fish is presented. The system is designed to allow interactions between a user and the robot. The user can assign a target point anywhere in the working area of the tank, and the robotic fish will track that target.
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