Autonomous Recovery Control of Biomimetic Robotic Fish Based on Multi-Sensory System

As a new-type underwater robot with outstanding motion performance and environmental friendliness, bionic robotic fish holds enormous potential in the field of ocean exploration. In practical application, it is a vital mission for underwater robots to accomplish efficient and stable autonomous recovery. To this end, this letter presents a novel bionic robotic fish with a multi-dimensional sensory system followed by its autonomous recovery control. Firstly, a wire-driven robotic fish is developed by the new-type active and passive joint design, and the excellent three-dimensional motion maneuverability is achieved. Secondly, a multi-dimensional sensory system consisting of binocular fish-eye cameras and infrared sensor array is constructed, obtaining the reliable visual and distance perception. On the basis of designed prototype and sensory system, regarding to the recovery process, four representative recovery stages are particularly proposed, thus achieving autonomous recovery control of the robotic fish. Finally, extensive indoor and outdoor experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the developed autonomous recovery system of robotic fish. The obtained results can serve as a valuable reference for the timed energy supply and data uploading of bionic robots in the long-term task.