Robotic fish
AssigneeFishboat Incorporated
InventorsMartin Spencer Garthwaite, Kirk O'Donnell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robotic fish comprises one or more torque reaction engines and a fin, wherein the one or more torque reaction engines cyclically oscillate and is to cause one or more waves to propagate through the fin, wherein the one or more waves accelerating thrust fluid and propel the robotic fish. The robotic fish may have a shape of a flagellum, a fish, a marine mammal, or a disc. The one or more of the one or more torque reaction engines may comprise a drive shaft or may comprise no drive shaft. When the one or more of the one or more torque reaction engines comprises no drive shaft, the one or more of the one or more torque reaction engines may comprise a bearing surface of a closed ball-and-socket joint.
Claims17
A robotic fish comprising a fin and one or more torque reaction engines (“TREs”) secured to the fin, wherein the one or more TREs are to cause the fin to translate or rotate through and transfer momentum to a surrounding thrust fluid, wherein the one or more TREs comprise a first set of magnets, a second set of magnets, and an inertial mass, wherein at least one of the first set of magnets and the second set of magnets are electronically controlled by an electronic motor control module to transfer a torque between a first group and a second group, wherein the first group comprises the first set of magnets and the fin and the second group comprises the second set of magnets and the inertial mass, wherein the second group floats within the first group on a bearing, wherein the bearing comprises a bearing surface of a closed ball-and-socket joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.