In context
In May 2023, amphibious robots were gaining attention for tasks like disaster relief and marine exploration, driving research into configurations that could operate seamlessly across land and water. This review from Beijing Institute of Technology captured the state of the art in design and control, offering a roadmap for industrial and field applications.
What was reported
The review categorized amphibious robots by propulsion: legged types (e.g., crab- and salamander-inspired), wheel-leg/fin hybrids (e.g., RHex, AQUA), serpentine, and spherical designs. It detailed representative prototypes, noting that legged robots excel on rough terrain but struggle in water, while hybrids like AQUA require manual swapping of propulsion mechanisms, limiting autonomy.
Dynamic modeling approaches for water and land propulsion were summarized, along with multi-environment control strategies. The authors highlighted challenges in system modeling and control due to complex fluid-structure interactions and variable terrains.
Key future directions included novel propulsion mechanisms, improved system modeling, deeper propulsion mechanism research, and multi-modal autonomous control. The review emphasized the need for robots that can autonomously transition between environments without manual intervention.
Why it mattered
This review provided a structured overview of amphibious robot technologies, identifying gaps such as limited autonomous mode switching and propulsion efficiency. For industrial automation, it pointed toward more versatile robots capable of operating in diverse environments, potentially aiding inspection, rescue, and exploration tasks in challenging settings.
"The key technologies and future development directions of amphibious robots are summarized, including new propulsion mechanism design, system modeling, propulsion mechanism research, and multi-modal autonomous control technology."
Source: 《机器人》期刊 (robot.sia.cn) · Published 2023-05-09 · “水陆两栖仿生机器人构形、运动机理及建模控制综述”