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This paper describes the design of an aquatic robot moving on the surface of a fluid and driven by two internal moving masses. The body of the aquatic robot in cross section has the shape of a symmetrical airfoil with a sharp edge. In this prototype, two internal masses move in circles and are rotated by a single DC motor and a gear mechanism that transmits torque from the motor to each mass. Angular velocities of moving masses are used as a control action, and the developed kinematic scheme for transmitting rotation from the motor to the moving masses allows the rotation of two masses with equal angular velocities in magnitude, but with a different direction of rotation. It is also possible to install additional tail fins of various shapes and sizes on the body of this robot. Also in the work for this object, the equations of motion are presented, written in the form of Kirchhoff equations for the motion of a solid body in an ideal fluid, which are supplemented by terms of viscous resistance. A mathematical description of the additional forces acting on the flexible tail fin is presented. Experimental studies on the influence of various tail fins on the speed of motion in the fluid were carried out with the developed prototype of the robot. In this work, tail fins of the same shape and size were installed on the robot, while having different stiffness. The experiments were carried out in a pool with water, over which a camera was installed, on which video recordings of all the experiments were obtained. Next processing of the video recordings made it possible to obtain the object’s movements coordinates, as well as its linear and angular velocities. The paper shows the difference in the velocities developed by the robot when moving without a tail fin, as well as with tail fins having different stiffness. The comparison of the velocities developed by the robot, obtained in experimental studies, with the results of mathematical modeling of the system is given.

The objective of this study is to determine the best formations for the joint movement of a group of small robots in an aquatic environment. Estimation of drag of the flow is a traditional and well-known area of research, but it is not always valid to extend the conclusions made for a single robot to a group of similar devices due to the physical effects that appear during joint movement, such as a wave shadow. For these reasons, it is necessary to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of certain robot formations as a stable structure. The hydrodynamic parameters of systems with two main types of propulsion were studied: locomotive (fishtails) and propellers. Formations similar in structure to schools of fish were mainly considered, and then their applicability for robots of different types was assessed. The relationship between the speed of movement of the group and the drag of each of its participants was also studied. Mathematical modeling of the flow around a group of robots was performed using the finite volume method using two software packages (FlowVision and OpenFoam). Robots with a screw propeller interfere with each other when packed into tight formations, and for the locomotive case, being in the disturbance zone, on the contrary, is preferable. Also, with poorly streamlined bodies, flows separating from the surface can turn into narrow turbulent jets that greatly interfere with the rear robots. It has been established that wake effect reduces energy costs only at low speeds of movement — about 5 cm/s; at high speeds, movement in columns becomes difficult for the rear robots. No large difference in frontal resistance was found between a single robot and a group for a fish-like tail. The studies made it possible to develop and substantiate recommendations for optimizing robot designs for group movement.