Principle and application of Underwater Vibration Suction Method

Underwater vibration suction method (UVSM) is a novel suction strategy used in the water environment. Mimicing the suction mechanism of octopus, this method can improve the adsorptive capacity of a suction cup by making it vibrate against the wall in the water. In this paper, the fundamental principles of UVSM and its primary application are presented. First, the mathematic model of UVSM is built based on the anatomization of the underwater vibration processes of a suction cup. Then numerical simulation and experiments are conducted on a cup, and the results verify the correctness of the mathematic model. Finally, a suction module is designed based on the principles of the UVSM, and experiments on the module prove its adsorptive effectiveness in water. This new style suction module is supposed to be used in miniature underwater wall-climbing robot.