Face it, fish are the best swimmers, everybody knows that. The tuna swims with high speed and high efficiency, the pike accelerates in a flash, and there is the moray that swims skillfully into narrow crevices. Someday a clever fish robot will swim skillfully and intelligently just like a fish. When it does, it will be due to patient investigation and observation of life in the sea and our ability to describe and mimic it.

If diving devices and commercial ships can apply some of the principles of fish locomotion, better underwater vehicles and more efficient propulsion systems can be made. Ships could deliver goods using less energy. Diving vehicles could travel more quickly without disturbing their objects of interest.

Development of an intelligent marine robot, which studies the optimization of swimming methods, has begun. This is one of the things we are working on here at the Power and Energy Engineering Division of the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI).

Outline of the Fish Robot How fast does the fish swim? Features and characteristics of the fish that are investigated for the design of the fish robot. Major contents: Outline of this study, Principle of the fish swimming, swimming speed

Fish Robot Locomotion

View of Model Fish Robots Structure of the fish robot. What's the best power source? Several prototype fish robots are shown. Major contents: PPF-01 for discussion of a link mechanism, PPF-02 used pulse motors, PPF-03 used a D/C motor, PPF-04 used R/C servo motors, Small sized PPF-05

Model Fish Robot, PPF-04

Experimental Fish Robots In order to measure basic performance of the fish robot, several experimental fish robots have been designed and built. Here is an update. Major contents: PF-300 -- high turning performance, PF-600 -- high speed and high efficiency, Stirling engine for the fish robot

Experimental Fish Robot, PF-300

The Next Step for the Fish Robot Project When the fish robot is finally developed, how will they look? How will we "grow" them? Major contents: Fish robot in the future, life with fish robots

Fish robots in the future

Staff and Questionnaire We would be very grateful if you could fill out this questionnaire. Please help me make my web site better. Major contents: Introduction of staff, questionnaire

Staff

Other Information and Links Here are some robotic and other interesting links. My personal information can be found at the Hirata HOME site noted below. Major contents: Links to other robotic and related web sites

Other information

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