Motion of an underwater self-reconfigurable robot with tree-like configurations

Underwater self-reconfigurable system (USS), an underwater self-reconfigurable robot consisting of two types of modules, can reform various configurations in real time. Compared with normal underwater robots, its diverse configurations bring forward good adaptability and more abundant gaits. For the tree-like configurations, we propose a technique for dynamic modeling and configuration description. The eel-like configuration and the octopus-like one are chosen as examples to verify the technique, and some gaits are designed. For the eel-like configuration with the serpentine gait, the technique gives the same simulation results as existing eel-like models. For other cases, simulation results are consistent well with what happens in nature. © Shanghai Jiaotong University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.