Deformable aquatic vehicle

Abstract

A submersible, aquatic robot employs a deformable, tubular tail operable as a wave spring for directing movement through impelled fluid and controlled vectors based on directional orientation of the deformable tail. A central impeller in a toroidal housing forms a continuous fluid channel through the housing and tubular tail, while a series of tethers draws on opposed sides of the deformable tail for directing movement to one side or the other. The directed, tubular tail channels water for propulsion based on a vector defined by the directional tail. Wireless control of a fleet of aquatic robots can perform widespread sensory or dissemination tasks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aquatic robotic device, comprising:
 a housing, the housing configured for submersion;   a void in the housing, the void defining a channel through the housing for fluid flow;   a deformable tail, the tail perimetrically attached to a distal end of the housing and forming a continuous fluid volume with the channel; and   a tether attached to the tail, the tether configured for deforming the tail via actuated tensioning.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an opening at a distal end of the tail, the housing and attached tail forming a continuous, enclosed fluid pathway through the housing and tail. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an actuator and a plurality of tethers, the actuator configured for alternately tensioning the tethers for drawing at least a portion of the tail towards the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the tail defines a tubular shape, the tubular shape attached to a circumference of the housing at a proximal end, and forming an opening at a distal end, wherein the plurality of tethers form a pair of tethers to opposed circumferential attachments on the tail. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the actuator further comprises a servo, the servo attached to the housing for alternately tensioning the tethers for individually tensioning a respective tether, the tensioned tether directing the tail in a direction defined by the tension. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising an impeller in the housing, the impeller projecting a fluid flow through the channel and through continuous fluid volume for exiting a distal end of the tail, the fluid flow and deformable tail defining a propulsion vector. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  further comprising a plurality of tethers for unevenly tensioning the tail, the tensioning directing the distal end of the tail for forming the propulsion vector. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6  wherein the housing forms a toroidal body around the impeller, the toroidal body engaged with the impeller for controlling propulsion.
 flow provided population. 
 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the servo connects to a semicircular pulley having opposed sides, wherein the tethers attach to each respective opposed side, the semicircular pully configured for semicircular rotation for tensioning one of the respective tethers. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9  further comprising a pair of servos, each having respective tethers attached to each of the respective opposed sides, the servos rotating in planes offset by 90° for directing the deformable tail along two dimensions. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of elongated, curved directional members extending from the housing opposed from the tail, the elongated curved directional members meeting at a forward junction, the forward junction configured to engage an impacted surface or object prior to a front housing face for deflection thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the deformable tail includes a plurality of shaped ribs supporting a flexible planar material, the shaped ribs forming a circumference defining the continuous fluid volume, the flexible planar material extending around an outer surface of the shaped ribs and forming a rearward opening at a distal end of the tail. 
     
     
         13 . A method for propelling a waterborne robotic device, comprising:
 projecting fluid through a housing;   attaching a deformable tail to the housing for forming a continuous fluid volume, the deformable tail having an opening distal from the housing;   tensioning one or more of a plurality of tethers attached to the deformable tail, the deformable tail responsive to the tensioning for directing the projected fluid through a channel defined by the housing, the deformable tail and the opening for forming a propulsion vector.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the fluid is water and the housing is hermetically scaled.