Adaptive multimodal swimming gaits in a reconfigurable modular soft robotic fish.

ABSTRACT: Fish swim with four main gaits-anguilliform, subcarangiform, carangiform, and thunniform-produced by waves along varying portions of the body. However, how muscle activation length influences swimming performance remains poorly understood. We present a reconfigurable robotic fish that replicates all four gaits in a single platform by rapidly tuning its body stiffness. Vacuum-driven layer jamming muscles in four tensegrity joints enable quick (≤1 s) stiffness modulation (stiffness ratio of 46.6) and gait switching. In thunniform gait, the robot reaches 1.24 body lengths per second, whereas in anguilliform gait, it achieves agile maneuvering with a turning radius of 0.26 body lengths. Fluid simulations show that the thunniform gait generates stronger vortices and 142% more thrust compared wi

SUBMITTER: Wang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12758535 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature