Entry Date:
September 14, 2015

Flow Sensing and Control to Improve Maneuverability


Marine animals are equipped with an extensive network of flow and tactile sensors that enable high swimming performance. They are more maneuverable, more efficient, and swim safely in more dangerous environments than man-made vehicles. Our work focuses on improving vehicle performance by developing control schemes that utilize bio-inspired near-field flow sensors. We study the interaction between a vehicle and its local flow to develop systems that reduce drag, extract energy from the flow, stabilize a vehicle in unsteady currents, and improve maneuverability. These control designs could ultimately allow for faster, more maneuverable underwater vehicles which are more robust to disturbances and extremely dynamic environments.