APPLICATION OF TAGUCHI METHOD IN THE OPTIMIZATION OF SWIMMING CAPABILITY FOR ROBOTIC FISH

In this paper, we applied the Taguchi method to evaluate the maximum swimming speed of a robotic fish under the limitation of the output of the motor. Four factors were considered in the optimization: the caudal-fin aspect ratio, the caudal fin stiffness, the oscillating frequency and the stiffness of the spring that transmits forces the actuators to the foil. Because of the power limitations, the parameter space was irregular Since the Taguchi method requires a regular parameter space we divided the parameter space into regular and irregular spaces. Within 25 trials the frequency and spring stiffness were determined as the main factors. Six more trials were carried out in the remaining irregular space and a maximum speed of 870mm/s was achieved. This method is efficient for exploring the maximum locomotor capabilities of robotic fish and may also be useful for other robots