This program is undertaking the implementation and in-water testing of two classes of biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicles. The first is an 8-legged ambulatory vehicle that is based on the lobster and is intended for autonomous remote-sensing operations in rivers and/or the littoral zone ocean bottom with robust adaptations to irregular bottom contours, current and surge. The second vehicle is an undulatory system that is based on the lamprey and is intended for remote sensing operations in the water column with robust depth/altitude control and high maneuverability.

These vehicles are based on a common biomimetic control, actuator and sensor architecture that features highly modularized components and low cost per vehicle. Operating in concert, they can conduct autonomous investigation of both the bottom and water column of the littoral zone or rivers. These systems represent a new class of autonomous underwater vehicles that may be adapted to operations in a variety of habitat

On Line Animations of Biomimetic Systems

Lobster Performance Capabilities Nitinol-based Undulatory Actuator Nitinol-based Rigid Segment Undulatory Actuator Nitinol-based Undulatory System operating under water Mathematica Lobster Body Design Model Nitinol-based Robot Lobster Leg Walking in the Four Directions Leg Actuator Walking Laterally Underwater Ambulator Stands Up Ambulator Walks Lobster Robot Walks

Undulator with Chevron Myotomes Lobster Robot Maneuvering Height modulation during Walking Lateral Walking with Height modulation Range fractionation by the MEMs Antennae Lobster Robot Simulation Chevron Myotome Undulator Free Swimming Postural Control in the Ambulator Lateral View of Ambulator II Walking Top View of Ambulator II Turning

• Ayers, J. and Crisman. J. (1992) The Lobster as a Model for an Omnidirectional Robotic Ambulation Control Architecture. In: Biological Neural Networks in Invertebrate Neuroethology and Robots., R. Beer., R. Ritzmann and T. McKenna [eds], 287-316.
• Ayers, J. (1992) Desktop Motion Video for Scientific Image Analysis. Advanced Imaging 7: 52-55.
• Ayers, J. and Crisman, J. (1992) Biologically-based Control of Omnidirectional Leg Coordination, IEEE Proc. on Intelligent Robots and Systems 1: 574-581
• Ayers, J., Crisman, J. D. and Massa, D. (1993) A Biologically-based Controller for an Underwater Ambulatory Robot. Proc. Int. Symp. Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology. Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute, Portsmouth, N.H., Pp. 60-68
• Ayers, J., Kashin, S., Blidberg, D. R. and Massa, D. (1994) Biologically-Based Underwater Robots. Unmanned Systems 12: 30-36. .
• Chappell, S and Ayers, J. (1995) Innate and Modulated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Behavior. In: Proc. Int. Symp. Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology. Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute, Portsmouth, N.H., Pp. 376-387.
• Jalbert, J. Kashin, S. Ayers, J. (1995) A Biologically-based Undulatory Lamprey-like AUV. In: Proc. of the Autonomous Vehicles in Mine Countermeasures Symposium. Naval Postgraduate School. Pp. 39-52
• Jalbert, J. Kashin, S. Ayers, J. (1995) Design Considerationas and Experiments on a Biologically-based Undulatory Lamprey-like AUV. In: Proc. Int. Symp. Unmanned Untethered Submersible Technology. Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute, Portsmouth, N.H., Pp. 124-138
• Ayers, J. (1995) A Reactive Ambulatory Robot Architecture for Operation in Current and Surge. In: Proc. of the Autonomous Vehicles in Mine Countermeasures Symposium. Naval Postgraduate School. Pp. 15-31 Breithaupt, T. and Ayers, J. (1995) Visualization and quantative analysis of underwater biological flow fields using suspended particles. Marine Behavior and Physiology, in press
• Breithaupt, T. and Ayers, J. (1996) Visualization and quantitative analysis of underwater biological flow fields using suspended particles. In: Zooplankton: Sensory Ecology and Physiology . P. H. Lenz, D. K. Hartline, J. E. Purcell and D. L. MacMillan [eds]. Basel: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers., Pp. 117-129
• Breithaupt, T., Ayers, J. (1998) Visualization and quantification of biological flow fields through video-based digital motion-analysis techniques. Mar. Fresh. Behav. Physiol. Vol. 31, pp.55-61.
• Ayers, J, Zavracky, P., McGruer, N., Massa. D., Vorus, W., Mukherjee, R. and Currie, S. (1998) A Modular Behavioral-Based Architecture for Biomimetic Autonomous Underwater Robots. In: Proc. of the 3rd International Conference on Technology and the Mine Problem. Naval Postgraduate School. CDRom.
• Ayers, J. (1999) A Behavior-Based Controller Architecture for Biomimetic Underwater Robots. In: Prerational Intelligence: Adaptive Behavior and Intelligent Systems without symbols and logic. Vol. I. H. Cruse, H. Ritter and J. Dean [eds] Kluwer Acad. Pub. Dordrecht. Pp. 357-370.
• Ayers, J., J. Witting, C. Wilbur P. Zavracky, N. McGruer and D. Massa (2000) Biomimetic Robots for Shallow Water Mine Countermeasures. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Technology and the Mine Problem. 16 Pages,CD Rom.
• Ayers, J., Witting, J., McGruer, N., Olcott, C., Massa, D. (2000) Lobster Robots. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Aqua Biomechanisms. T. Wu and N, Kato, [eds]. Tokai University.
• Ayers, J., Wilbur, C., Olcott, C. (2000) Lamprey Robots. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Aqua Biomechanisms. T. Wu and N, Kato, [eds]. Tokai University.
• Ayers, J. (2000) Finite State Analysis of Behavior and the Development of Underwater Robots. In Artificial Ethology, D. MacFarland and O. Holland [eds]. In Press.
• Ayers, J. (2001) A Conservative Biomimetic Control Architecture for Autonomous Underwater Robots. In: Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots,. J. Ayers, J. Davis and A. Rudolph [eds]. MIT Press, In Press.
• McGruer, N. G. Adams, T. Truong, T. Barnes, X. Lu, and J. Aceros (2001) Biomimetic Flow And Contact/Bending MEMs Sensors. In: Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots,. J. Ayers, J. Davis and A. Rudolph [eds]. MIT Press, In Press.
• Witting, J., K. Safak and G. Adams (2001) SMA Actuators Applied To Biomimetic Underwater Robots In: Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots,. J. Ayers, J. Davis and A. Rudolph [eds]. MIT Press, In Press.
• Wilbur, C., W. Vorus, Y. Cao and S. Currie (2001) A Lamprey-Based Undulatory Vehicle. In: Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots,. J. Ayers, J. Davis and A. Rudolph [eds]. MIT Press, In Press.
• Ayers, J. and Davis, J., Rudolph, A. (2001) Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots, MIT Press, In Press.

Supported by

Controlled Biological Systems Program

Office of Naval Research

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