Giannka Picache

“Drag Reduction and Stability Analysis of Biohybrid Robotic Jellyfish Mounts”

Advised by Prof. Mark Cutkosky

Abstract: Biologging—which is the practice of using animals equipped with sensor tags—is a promising new avenue for ocean monitoring. However, a limitation of biologging is that it only provides data on where the animal swims. Biohybrid robotic control—which is the ability to navigate an animal along a desired path of motion—addresses that limitation. By implanting a microprocessor and electrodes into the bell (the umbrella-like body) of a jellyfish, previous research has shown enhanced swimming speeds up to 3 times its normal gaits. Moreover, it was found that the implanted cap, which is the plastic housing for the jellyfish’s microelectronics system, further increases swimming speeds when affixed to the apical surface of the bell. In this study, we aim to further explore the hydrodynamic influence of implanted caps. We tested different shapes and surfaces to determine an optimal design for decreasing drag and increasing stability. We measured the terminal velocity and corresponding drag coefficient of both traditional and bioinspired drag-reducing designs. We identify an optimal shape and surface texture for maximum performance in biohybrid robot jellyfish. This study provides important design considerations for the jellyfish platform while giving insights into drag-reducing shapes and surface textures in low velocity, laminar flows.