Krill-inspired robotics

May 2022

Wilhelmus Lab, Brown University

3D-printed PLA, laser-cut acrylic, arduino, CAD

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In the Spring 2022 semester, I worked together with a group of students in my Vibrations of Mechanical Systems course and the Wilhelmus Lab to develop a passivley actuated lower appendage for a krill-inspired robotics project.

This involved modeling the system in MATLAB to identify the ideal spring coefficient and working with Fusion 360 CAD software to modify and simplify the existing design. We experimented with the material properties of a variety of materials including rubber, acetate sheets and stainless steel wire as well as 3D printed PLA, testing each spring against the recorded motion of real krill appendages using the DLTDV tool in MATLAB.