Fish-shaped biomimetic device

The fish-shaped biomimetic device mimics fish swimming by using rotation means and a center-of-gravity shifting mechanism to accurately replicate the swinging motion and adjust movement, addressing the limitations of conventional devices.

JP7785845B2Active Publication Date: 2025-12-15PIONEER MATERIAL PRECISION TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024076452
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-01-19
Filing Date
2024-05-09
Publication Date
2025-12-15
Estimated Expiration
2044-05-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional fish-shaped biomimetic devices are unable to accurately mimic the swimming motion of fish, which is characterized by the swinging of the body and tail fin.

Method used

The device incorporates a fish-shaped housing unit with multiple housing members connected by rotation means, each equipped with a motor module and rotating member, allowing adjacent housing members to swing relative to each other, and a center-of-gravity shifting mechanism to adjust the device's movement, mimicking fish swimming motions.

Benefits of technology

The device accurately imitates the swimming movements of fish by enabling the rear housing members to swing left and right relative to the front members, while adjusting the center of gravity for precise control, thereby enhancing its swimming motion imitation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a fish type biomimetics device capable of imitating swimming motion of fish.SOLUTION: A fish type biomimetics device includes a fish-shaped casing unit 1 having a plurality of casing members 11 arranged adjacent to each other in a front-to-back direction X, and a plurality of rotation means 3 disposed between any two adjacent casing members 11. When respective first motor modules, each disposed in the casing member 11 on the front side and belonging to the respective rotation means 3, rotationally drive respective first rotational members disposed in the casing member 11 on the rear side, relative oscillation between the front side casing member 11 and the rear side casing member 11 is driven to imitate the swimming motion of a fish.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a biomimetic robot that can operate in water, and more particularly to a fish-type biomimetic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a conventional example of a fish-shaped biomimetic device, in which the components corresponding to the fish's head, body, and tail are each an independent watertight shell structure, and a transparent, pressure-resistant waterproofing material is applied to the surface of this watertight shell structure to ensure its waterproof performance. Furthermore, the device is equipped with a controller module, wireless communication module, water quality monitoring module, fish detection module, and autonomous navigation module, allowing it to blend in with a school of fish and be used for observing fish habits and for educational purposes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 114758570A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Such conventional fish-shaped biomimetic devices are unable to mimic the swimming motion of fish, which is caused by the swinging of the body and tail fin. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fish-shaped biomimetic device that can more accurately mimic the swimming motion of fish. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fish-shaped biomimetic device capable of moving forward in an underwater environment, comprising: a fish-shaped housing unit having a plurality of housing members arranged adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction; and a plurality of rotation means disposed between any two of the adjacent housing members, each having a first motor module attached to the front one of the two housing members; and a first rotating member attached to the rear one of the two housing members and connected to the first motor module so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending in the up-down direction, wherein each of the first motor modules of each rotation means is individually controlled to rotate with respect to the corresponding first rotating member about the first axis, thereby driving the relative rotation of the front housing member with respect to the rear housing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The fish-shaped biomimetic device of the present invention has a rotation means interposed between two adjacent housing members in the front and rear of the multiple housing members that make up the fish-shaped housing unit, allowing the rear housing member to swing left and right relative to the front housing member, thereby more accurately imitating the swimming movements of fish. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a fish-shaped biomimetic device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which two housing members are removed from the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bent state of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same embodiment, showing an angle different from that in FIG. 1. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the same embodiment shown at a different angle from that of FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the same embodiment shown at a different angle from that of FIG. 14. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a center of gravity shifting mechanism in the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the movement of the center of gravity shifting mechanism in the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the movement of the center of gravity shifting mechanism in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In order to more clearly describe the objectives, technical means, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical means in the embodiments of the present invention in combination with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be apparent that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention depicted and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided below in the accompanying drawings does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] Before describing the present invention in more detail, it should be noted that, where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

[0010] In describing the present invention, terms indicating orientations or positional relationships such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used based on the orientations and positional relationships shown in the drawings or the orientations and positional relationships customarily assumed when using the product of the present invention, for the purpose of easier and clearer explanation, and are not intended to teach or suggest that the corresponding apparatus or device has a specific orientation, structure, operation, etc. in a specific orientation, and are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention.

[0011] Also, in describing the present invention, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used for distinction purposes only and do not teach or imply relative importance.

[0012] As used herein, the term "electrically connected" can refer to both a "wired connection" in which multiple electrical facilities, electrical apparatuses, or electrical devices are connected via a conductive material, and a "wireless connection (i.e., a signal connection)" which is a one-way or two-way wireless communication achieved by wireless communication technology. Furthermore, the term "electrically connected" can refer to both a "direct connection" in which multiple electrical facilities, electrical apparatuses, or electrical devices are directly connected to each other, and an "indirect connection" in which multiple electrical facilities, electrical apparatuses, or electrical devices are indirectly connected to each other via other electrical facilities, electrical apparatuses, or electrical devices.

[0013] The fish-shaped biomimetic device of this embodiment is shown in Figures 1 and 2. This fish-shaped biomimetic device is configured to be able to move forward in an underwater environment (not shown), and includes a fish-shaped housing unit 1, a control module 2 (see Figure 4), multiple rotation means 3, a center-of-gravity moving mechanism 4, and a sensor module 5.

[0014] 1, the fish-shaped housing unit 1 has the shape of, for example, an Atlantic tuna, and is formed with fins, eyes, a mouth, etc. This housing unit 1 has a plurality of housing members 11 (11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) arranged adjacent to one another in the front-rear direction X, and a tail fin member 13 arranged on the rearmost housing member 11d.

[0015] In the plurality of housing members 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, two adjacent housing members 11 (for example, housing members 11a and 11b, or housing members 11b and 11c, etc.) are connected by a single rotation means 3 arranged between them, and the rear housing member 11 swings left and right relative to the front housing member 11 due to rotation of the rotation means 3, allowing the housing unit 1 to imitate the swimming motion of a fish swinging its body. In this embodiment, the housing unit 1 is configured to have four housing members 11: housing members 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d, but in implementing the present invention, the housing unit 1 has two or more housing members 11, and the more housing members 11 there are, the more accurately it can imitate the swimming motion of a fish swinging its body.

[0016] For ease of explanation in the following description, of the four housing members 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d included in the housing unit 1 in this embodiment, the housing member 11a located at the front side will be referred to as the foremost housing member 11a, the housing member 11b located immediately behind it will be referred to as the first intermediate housing member 11b, the housing member 11c located further behind it will be referred to as the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the housing member 11d located at the rear side will be referred to as the rearmost housing member 11d. The foremost housing member 11a is formed in a shape imitating the head of a fish, the first intermediate housing member 11b and the second intermediate housing member 11c are formed in a shape imitating the body of a fish, and the rearmost housing member 11d is formed in a shape imitating the tail of a fish and has a tail fin member 13 attached thereto.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each housing member 11 is formed in a shape that is symmetrical in the left-right direction Y, and the half housings 111 arranged one on each side engage with each other to define an accommodation slot 117 between the two half housings 111 and accommodate a portion of the corresponding rotation means 3. At the front end of each of the two half housings 111 owned by one housing member 11 located on the rear side of two adjacent housing members 11, i.e., the first intermediate housing member 11b between the front-most housing member 11a and the first intermediate housing member 11b, or the second intermediate housing member 11c between the first intermediate housing member 11b and the second intermediate housing member 11c, or the rearmost housing member 11d between the second intermediate housing member 11c and the rearmost housing member 11d, a curved flange 112 is formed which extends forward and is inserted into the housing member 11 located on the front side, and also extends so as to bend toward the accommodating slot 117 between the two half housings 111, thereby shielding the gap between the half housing 111 owned by the one housing member 11 located on the rear side of the two adjacent housing members 11 and the half housing 111 owned by the housing member 11 located on the front side.

[0018] That is, for example, in adjacent first intermediate housing member 11b and second intermediate housing member 11c, one curved flange 112 is formed on each of the front ends of the two half housings 111 of the second intermediate housing member 11c, and these two curved flanges 112 are inserted into the first intermediate housing member 11b and extend so as to bend toward the accommodating slot 117 surrounded by the second intermediate housing member 11c, thereby shielding the gap between the two half housings 111 of the first intermediate housing member 11b and the two half housings 111 of the second intermediate housing member 11c.

[0019] Also, as shown in FIG. 11, when the rear housing member 11 rotates with respect to the front housing member 11, the gap on one side (the lower side in the figure) between the front housing member 11a and the first intermediate housing member 11b in the figure widens due to the rotation of the rotation means 3. However, this gap is blocked by a curved flange 112 formed on the half housing 111 on the lower side in the figure that the first intermediate housing member 11b has and that extends into the front housing member 11a. This does not hinder the relative movement of the two housing members 11, and the spatial communication between the accommodating slot 117 and the outside is blocked, preventing external water from easily entering the accommodating slot 117 through this gap, the width of which changes due to the relative oscillation of the adjacent housing members 11.

[0020] That is, the curved flanges 112 formed on the first intermediate housing member 11b, the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the rearmost housing member 11d extend inward of the frontmost housing member 11a, the first intermediate housing member 11b, and the second intermediate housing member 11c, which are located in front of them, respectively.

[0021] Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first intermediate housing member 11b and the second intermediate housing member 11c each have two inner partition walls 113 arranged in the accommodating slot 117, and these two inner partition walls 113 are connected to the two half housings 111 of the corresponding first intermediate housing member 11b or second intermediate housing member 11c, respectively.

[0022] For example, the two inner partition walls 113 of the first intermediate housing member 11b, together with the curved flanges 112 formed on the two half housings 111 of the first intermediate housing member 11b, divide the accommodation slot 117 inside the first intermediate housing member 11b into a central slot portion 118 in which part of the rotation means 3 is accommodated, and a left air chamber 119A and a right air chamber 119B located on both the left and right sides of the central slot portion 118. The left air chamber 119A and the right air chamber 119B located in the first intermediate housing member 11b and the second intermediate housing member 11c, respectively, are symmetrical to each other in the left-right direction Y, maintaining the balance of the entire fish-type biomimetic device in the left-right direction Y. In particular, the inner partition wall 113, the half housing 111, and the curved flange 112 are all formed as arched plates, and the convex surface 113a of the inner partition wall 113 faces the corresponding concave surface 111a of the half housing 111 and the curved flange 112, thereby defining the left air chamber 119A or the right air chamber 119B. By defining the left air chamber 119A and the right air chamber 119B in this manner, air can be stored in the left air chamber 119A and the right air chamber 119B even when the fish-shaped housing unit 1 is placed in an underwater environment. Furthermore, by adjusting the number and dimensions of the left air chamber 119A and the right air chamber 119B, it is possible to adjust the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device, thereby more precisely imitating the swimming motion of a fish, in which the body swings.

[0023] Each inner partition wall 113 is removably attached to the corresponding half housing 111. Specifically, each inner partition wall 113 is formed with a plurality of through holes 121 penetrating along the left-right direction Y, and the corresponding half housing 111 is formed with a plurality of screw holes 120 that face each other and correspond to the positions of the through holes 121. With this configuration, each inner partition wall 113 is fixed to the corresponding half housing 111 by using a plurality of screws 114 that pass through the respective through holes 121 and are then screwed into the corresponding screw holes 120. Furthermore, each screw 114 is fitted with a watertight washer 115, which maintains watertightness at the attachment points of each screw 114, i.e., the through holes 121 and the screw holes 120.

[0024] The first intermediate housing member 11b and the second intermediate housing member 11c each have an inner partition wall 133 which has a pair of watertight rings 116 at the periphery thereof facing the corresponding half housing 111, and which watertightly seal the gap between the half housing 111 and the curved flange 112 of the inner partition wall 133. Therefore, when the adjacent housing members 11 are driven by the rotation means 3 to swing relative to each other, it is possible to more reliably prevent external water from entering the receiving slots 117 inside the half housings 111.

[0025] The tail fin member 13 attached to the rearmost housing member 11d, located at the rearmost position of each housing member 11, is hollow and surrounds a tail fin space 131. This tail fin space 131 is isolated from the underwater environment, and by having a hollow structure that mimics the shape of a fish's tail fin, the center of gravity of the entire fish-type biomimetic device can be adjusted toward the front. Furthermore, by configuring the specific gravity of the entire fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention to be closer to that of water, it becomes easier to control movement and change of forward direction in an underwater environment.

[0026] 4 and 5, the control module 2 is disposed in the housing member 11 disposed at the frontmost side, i.e., the foremost housing member 11a. The control module 2 can be configured, for example, using a circuit board that is electrically connected to each of the rotation means 3, the center-of-gravity shifting mechanism 4, and the sensor module 5. With this configuration, the control module 2 can output control signals to each of the rotation means 3 and the center-of-gravity shifting mechanism 4 based on the sensing signal from the sensor module 5.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 , each rotation unit 3 is disposed between two adjacent housing members. That is, each rotation unit 3 includes a first motor module 31 disposed in the front housing member 11a, the first intermediate housing member 11b, and the second intermediate housing member 11c, which can be the housing member 11 located on the front side of the two adjacent housing members 11, and a first rotation member 32 disposed in the first intermediate housing member 11b, the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the rearmost housing member 11d, which can be the housing member 11 located on the rear side of the two adjacent housing members 11. The first motor module 31 includes a motor electrically connected to the control module 2, a holder that holds the motor, and an electric wire that electrically connects the motor and the control module 2. The first rotation member 32 is connected to both the motor and the corresponding housing member 11 (the housing member 11 located on the rear side of the two adjacent housing members 11), thereby transmitting the driving force from the motor to the corresponding housing member 11. The first rotating member 32 is attached to the first motor module 31 so as to be rotatable about a first axis L1 extending in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the number of rotating means 3 is one less than the number of housing members 11.

[0028] As shown in Figures 7 to 11, each first motor module 31 individually receives a control signal from the control module 2, and thereby drives the corresponding first rotating member 32 to rotate by a predetermined angle around the first axis L1 as the rotation axis, thereby driving the housing member 11 to which the first rotating member 32 is connected.In other words, the first intermediate housing member 11b, the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the rearmost housing member 11d, which can be the rear housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11, are driven to rotate by the predetermined angle relative to the frontmost housing member 11a, the first intermediate housing member 11b, and the second intermediate housing member 11c, which can be the front housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11. Specifically, when the first rotating member 32 is driven clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the corresponding first motor module 31 around the first axis L1, the first intermediate housing member 11b, the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the rearmost housing member 11d, which can be the rear housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11, can be swung left or right relative to the frontmost housing member 11a, the first intermediate housing member 11b, and the second intermediate housing member 11c, which can be the front housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11. Therefore, the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention can transition between its initial state and its curved state. That is, as the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention moves forward in an underwater environment, the rear portion of the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention swung left and right in the left-right direction Y relative to the front portion of the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention. 9 to 11 show the state in which the rear part of the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention swings to the right in the left-right direction Y relative to the front part of the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention, and in the initial state shown in Fig. 7, the first axes L1, which are the rotation axes of each of the rotation means 3, are aligned along the front-rear direction X, so the housing unit 1 extends along the front-rear direction X. In the curved state shown in Fig. 10, the arrangement of the first axes L1 becomes increasingly misaligned as it moves rearward from the front-rear direction X.Therefore, the first axis L1, which is relatively rearward, is shifted relatively far to the right from the second axis L2, which is the central axis of the frontmost housing member 11, i.e., the foremost housing member 11a, and extends along the front-to-rear direction X, creating a curvature in the entire housing unit 1.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, the center-of-gravity shifting mechanism 4 is disposed below the control module 2 within the forefront housing member 11a. The center-of-gravity shifting mechanism 4 includes a second motor module 41 mounted within the forefront housing member 11a, a second rotating member 42 mounted to the second motor module 41 so as to be rotatable about the second axis L2, and a weight member 43 disposed movably along the front-to-rear direction X relative to the second motor module 41. The second motor module 41 is electrically connected to the control module 2 and operates under the control of the control module 2. Specifically, the second motor module 41 includes a motor case 411, a motor 412 disposed within the motor case 411, and two guide columns 414 extending along the front-to-rear direction X on both sides of the motor case 411. An engagement slot 413 extending along the front-to-rear direction X is formed at the front end of the motor case 411. The second rotating member 42 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 412 by a connecting member and has a cylindrical cam 421 that is rotatable around the second axis L2 as a rotation axis. A spiral groove 422 is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical cam 421, extending in a spiral shape around the second axis L2. In this embodiment, the motor 412 is disposed inside the motor case 411, thereby reducing the size of the center-of-gravity moving mechanism 4. Alternatively, the motor 412 can be attached to the outside of the motor case 411 or the inner wall of the front-side housing member 11a. Furthermore, the spiral groove 422 extends in a spiral shape on the outer surface of the cylindrical cam 421 around the second axis L2, and has a first end 423 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) on the front side of the cylindrical cam 421 and a second end 424 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) on the rear side of the cylindrical cam 421.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19 , the weight member 43 has a passive portion 431 and a battery unit 432 that movably engages with an engagement slot 413 in the front-to-rear direction X. The two guide posts 414 are movably inserted into the battery unit 432 to hold the battery unit 432 and guide its movement. In some embodiments, the two guide posts 414 are omitted. The engagement slots 413 prevent the battery unit 432 from moving in the up-down direction Z. Specifically, the battery unit 432 may be composed of a battery box and multiple batteries, and is electrically connected to each of the first motor module 31 and the second motor module 41 to supply power to each of the first motor module 31 and the second motor module 41. The passive portion 431 is disposed at the upper end of the battery unit 432, extends downward, passes through the battery box, and has a guide block 433 that is engaged with the spiral groove 422 and is movably along the spiral groove 422. When the second motor module 41 receives control and drives the cylindrical cam 421 of the second rotating member 42 to rotate around the second axis L2, the guide block 433 moves along the spiral groove 422 relative to the cylindrical cam 421 of the second rotating member 42, causing the weight member 43 to move along the front-rear direction X relative to the second motor module 41, thereby shifting the center of gravity of the entire fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention along the front-rear direction X. Because the battery unit 432 serves as the center of gravity of the head of the fish-type biomimetic device, an additional weight member is not required, thereby avoiding an increase in the weight of the entire fish-type biomimetic device. Furthermore, because the battery unit 432 engages with the engagement slot 413, the center-of-gravity shifting mechanism 4 can be miniaturized, allowing the entire fish-type biomimetic device to be made smaller.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 13 , the sensor module 5 is electrically connected to the control module 2 and is located in front of the center-of-gravity moving mechanism 4 within the front housing member 11a. In this embodiment, the sensor module 5 specifically has three sensor elements 51. The sensor elements 51 are infrared sensors that can detect surrounding objects, such as obstacles, in an underwater environment. The three sensor elements 51 are located at the front end and both left and right ends of the fish's mouth-like portion of the front housing member 11a and are electrically connected to the control module 2. When any one of the sensor elements 51 detects a surrounding object, it generates a detection signal and transmits it to the control module 2. The control module 2 then generates a corresponding control signal and transmits it to the first motor module 31 or the second motor module 41, thereby changing the movement direction of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device to avoid collision with the detected object. In other embodiments, the number of sensor elements 51 may be other than three.

[0032] The operating state of the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention will be described in detail below. As shown in Figures 7, 8, 10, and 11, when each first rotating member 32 is controlled to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around the first axis L1 relative to the corresponding first motor module 31, the first intermediate housing member 11b, the second intermediate housing member 11c, and the rearmost housing member 11d, which can be the rear housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11, swing left and right relative to the foremost housing member 11a, the first intermediate housing member 11b, and the second intermediate housing member 11c, which can be the front housing member 11 of two adjacent housing members 11. Therefore, the fish-type biomimetic device of the present invention can swing left and right in the left-right direction Y and move forward in an underwater environment, mimicking the swimming motion of a fish. Furthermore, by fine-tuning the rotation angle and rotation range in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction of each first rotating member 32 controlled by the control module 2, it is also possible to change the forward direction of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device of the present invention.

[0033] 17 to 19, Fig. 17 shows a state in which the guide block 433 is engaged with the middle portion of the spiral groove 422, and in this state, the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device, determined by the weight member 43, corresponds to the horizontal forward movement direction. Then, when the guide block 433 moves relatively along the spiral groove 422 toward the first end 423 due to the rotation of the cylindrical cam 421 as shown in Fig. 18, the weight member 43 moves forward away from the engagement slot 413, and the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device also moves forward, allowing the fish-shaped biomimetic device to move downward. Furthermore, when the rotation of the cylindrical cam 421 causes the guide block 433 to move relatively along the spiral groove 422 to the second end 424 as shown in Figure 19, the weight member 43 retracts into the engagement slot 413 and the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device also moves rearward, allowing the fish-shaped biomimetic device to rise upward (towards the water surface).

[0034] Furthermore, when each sensor element 51 detects a surrounding object that could become an obstacle in the underwater environment, a detection signal is sent from each sensor element 51 to the control module 2, and the control module 2 controls each first motor module 31 and second motor module 41 according to the received detection signal, thereby adjusting the forward direction of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device left and right or up and down, i.e., enabling movement such as turning left or right, floating up or sinking, thereby avoiding collisions with surrounding objects, i.e., obstacles.

[0035] As explained above, the present invention includes multiple rotation mechanisms 3 disposed between any two adjacent housing members 11, allowing the entire housing unit 1 to bend, thereby imitating the swimming motion of a fish, which is caused by the swinging of the body and tail fin. Furthermore, the presence of the center of gravity shifting mechanism 4 allows the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device to be adjusted forward and backward by moving the weight member 43 forward and backward, thereby enabling the overall forward direction of the fish-shaped biomimetic device to be adjusted up and down. Furthermore, the control module 2 can individually control each of the first motor modules 31 and the second motor modules 41. When each sensor element 51 of the sensor module 5 detects a surrounding object that could become an obstacle, it sends a detection signal to the control module 2. The control module 2 then individually controls each of the first motor modules 31 and the second motor modules 41 in response to the received detection signal, thereby avoiding collisions between the fish-shaped biomimetic device and the obstacle during movement. Therefore, the fish-shaped biomimetic device of the present invention can more accurately mimic the swimming motion of a fish, thereby reliably achieving the objectives of the present invention.

[0036] The above-described embodiments are illustrative for explaining the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make slight changes or modifications to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention should be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0037] The fish-shaped biomimetic device provided by the present invention can be used, for example, to blend in with fish to observe their ecology or for educational purposes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 chassis unit 11 Housing components 11a Front housing member 11b First intermediate housing member 11c second intermediate housing member 11d Rearmost housing member 111 Half-case 112 curved flange 113 Inner Partition Wall 114 Screw 115 Washer 116 Watertight Ring 117 storage slots 118 Central slot 119A Left air chamber 119B Right air chamber 120 screw hole 121 Through hole 13 Tail fin member 131 Tail Fin Space 2 Control Module 3 Rotation means 31 First motor module 32 first rotating member 4. Center of gravity shifting mechanism 41 Second Motor Module 411 Motor case 412 Motor 413 Engagement slot 414 Guide Pillar 42 second rotating member 421 Cylindrical Cam 422 Spiral groove 423 First End 424 Second End 43 Weight member 431 Passive Part 432 Battery Unit 433 Guide Block 5 Sensor Module 51 Sensor element L1 First axis L2 Second axis X Anteroposterior direction Y left / right direction Z vertical direction

Claims

1. 1. A fish-like biomimetic device capable of moving forward in an underwater environment, comprising: a fish-shaped housing unit having a plurality of housing members arranged adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction; a plurality of rotation means each including a first motor module disposed between any two of the housing members adjacent to each other and attached to one of the housing members located at the front side of the two housing members, and a first rotation member attached to one of the housing members located at the rear side of the two housing members and connected to the first motor module so as to be rotatable about a first axis extending in the vertical direction as a rotation axis; Each of the first motor modules of each of the rotating means is individually controlled to rotate the corresponding first rotating member by a predetermined angle around the first axis as a rotation axis, thereby driving the relative rotation of the housing member on the front side with respect to the housing member on the rear side, and further Each of the housing members has one half-housing on the left and right of one of the rotating means, and the half-housings engage with each other to define an accommodation slot for accommodating a part of the corresponding rotating means. The front end of each of the two half-housings of one of the housing members located at the rear of the two adjacent housing members has a curved flange that extends forward and is inserted into the housing member located at the front, and then curves toward the accommodation slot between the two half-housings to shield the gap between the half-housing of the one housing member located at the rear of the two adjacent housing members and the half-housing of the housing member located at the front.

2. The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 1, wherein the first motor module is configured to rotate the rear housing member clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the first rotating member, causing the rear housing member to swing left and right relative to the front housing member, and wherein the cooperation of all the first motor modules generates a propulsive force that moves the entire fish-type biomimetic device forward in an underwater environment.

3. a center-of-gravity moving mechanism including: a second motor module disposed in a housing member disposed at the frontmost side of each of the housing members; a second rotating member connected to the second motor module so as to be rotatable about a second axis extending in the front-to-rear direction; and a weight member disposed so as to be movable along the front-to-rear direction relative to the second motor module; the second rotating member has a cylindrical cam formed in a cylindrical shape and having a spiral groove formed on an outer surface thereof, the spiral groove extending in a spiral shape around the second axis line; the weight member has a guide block that engages with the spiral groove formed in the cylindrical cam so as to be relatively movable along the spiral groove, The fish-shaped biomimetic device of claim 2, wherein the center of gravity moving mechanism is configured to move the guide block along the spiral groove when the second motor module is controlled to rotate the cylindrical cam of the second rotating member around the second axis as a rotation axis, thereby moving the weight member relative to the second motor module in the front-to-rear direction, thereby moving the center of gravity of the entire fish-shaped biomimetic device.

4. Further comprising a control module and a sensor module; the control module is disposed in a housing member disposed at the frontmost side of each of the housing members, and is configured to be able to individually control each of the first motor module and the second motor module by being electrically connected to each of the first motor module and the second motor module; The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 3, wherein the sensor module is electrically connected to the control module and is disposed within the housing member located at the frontmost side, and has at least one sensor element capable of sensing surrounding objects in an underwater environment, such that when the sensor element senses a surrounding object, it transmits a corresponding sensing signal to the control module, and when the control module receives the sensing signal, it controls at least one of the first motor module and the second motor module to change the forward direction of the entire fish-type biomimetic device.

5. The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 4, wherein the sensor module has three sensor elements arranged on the front, left, and right sides of the housing member arranged at the frontmost position, and each electrically connected to the control module, so that when any one of the sensor elements detects a surrounding object, it transmits a corresponding detection signal to the control module.

6. 2. The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the housing members has a pair of inner partition walls that are received in the storage slot and connected to the two half housings, and the pair of inner partition walls, together with the half housings and the curved flanges to which they are connected, are configured to divide the storage slot into a central slot portion and a left air chamber and a right air chamber located on either side of the central slot portion and isolated from the underwater environment.

7. At least one through hole extending in the left-right direction is formed in each of the inner partition walls of each of the housing members, and a screw hole corresponding to the through hole formed in the inner partition wall is formed on the inside adjacent to the corresponding inner partition wall of each of the half housings, The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 6, wherein each housing member further has a screw that is inserted through the through hole and removably screwed into the screw hole corresponding to the through hole, and a watertight washer attached to the screw, thereby removably fixing the inner partition wall to the corresponding half housing.

8. 8. The fish-type biomimetic device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the housing members has a pair of watertight rings that face the corresponding half-housing at the periphery of the inner partition wall and watertightly seal the gap between the half-housing and the curved flange of the inner partition wall.

9. 2. The fish-shaped biomimetic device according to claim 1, wherein a hollow tail fin member is attached to one of the housing members located at the rearmost side of the plurality of housing members of the fish-shaped housing unit so as to surround a tail fin space.

Citation Information

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