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Development of a Bio-robotic Swimmer Based on the Maneuverability of the California Sea Lion
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Development of a Bio-robotic Swimmer Based on the Maneuverability of the California Sea Lion

Nicholas Marcouiller, Shraman Kadapa, Anthony C Drago, Frank E Fish, Megan Clare Leftwich, Harry G Kwatny and James L Tangorra
Bioinspiration & biomimetics, Forthcoming
03 Jun 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ae7788
PMID: 42235578
url
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ae7788View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Bio-inspired robotics unmanned underwater vehicle California sea lion multi-body control surfaces maneuverability
The development of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) capable of operating in complex environments, such as coastal regions with obstacles and dynamic flows, requires new and effective maneuvering techniques to overcome the limitations of current underwater systems. UUVs that can operate in these zones have broad applications, including environmental monitoring, defense, and infrastructure inspection. By studying the swimming and maneuvering strategies of marine organisms, researchers can develop UUVs that integrate biologically inspired characteristics to enhance performance. The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was selected as a biological model due to its swimming and maneuvering capabilities in both the open ocean and through the high-energy surf zone. This paper presents the development and validation of a novel, multi-bodied, bio-robotic system with flipper-based propulsion modeled after the California sea lion. An articulatable head and pelvis, flexible fore flippers that generate 3D forces, and adjustable hind flippers were identified as potential contributors to its mobility, as supported by existing research and video analysis. Through a variety of tests, the system demonstrated its ability to serve as a research platform for systematically evaluating how these features influence swimming and maneuvering. Experimental results demonstrate its ability to use hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces to move repeatably in 3D space, providing a foundation for assessing the role of body articulation and flipper movements in underwater locomotion.

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