Experimental Studies on the Hydrodynamics of a Robotic Ostraciiform Tail Fin

This paper presents the experimental studies and force measurements on the tail fin of a ostraciiform micro underwater vehicle mimicking a boxfish. Boxfish are known for their ability to swim smoothly through turbulent waters and exhibit excellent maneuverability, characteristics desirable in an micro under water vehicle. In this work an experimental setup consisting of a 3DOF robotic flapper and a beam deflection based force sensor is built to study the hydrodynamics of tail fin and pectoral fin and arrive at the optimal parameters of fin morphology and kinematics, such as fin shape, stiffness, and frequency. Results on optimal tail fin shape are reported