Date of Award
2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Ocean Engineering
Department
Ocean Engineering
First Advisor
Stephen C. Licht
Abstract
This thesis details the development of a novel propulsion system for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV's) inspired by the punting locomotion of the `Little Skate'. The hybrid legged, gliding and punting gait is a potential enabling technology for UUV access to complex littoral environments. Design, development and initial trials with the prototype vehicle are presented. A combination of video motion capture and on-board inertial sensing is validated and used for preliminary analysis of a limited set of punting gaits. The results indicate the importance of matching vehicle morphology and kinematics to achieve effective locomotion and that the prototype is viable to be used as a validation tool for a general punting dynamic model that is in development. A practical method for modeling the vehicle is also presented with results comparing the model to experimental trials.
Recommended Citation
Perkins, Matthew, "Development and Modeling of a Biomimetic Punting Unmanned Underwater Vehicle" (2018). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1196.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1196
Terms of Use
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