Robotic Dog Achieves Amphibious Mobility with Mammal-Inspired Design

Most existing amphibious robots struggle with agility, load capacity, and dynamic movement, making them less effective in real-world scenarios. By adopting a dog-inspired swimming mechanism, the researchers created a robotic dog that not only overcomes these challenges but also achieves smoother transitions between land and water environments.

To optimize water mobility, the amphibious robotic dog utilizes a specialized paddling system, closely replicating the swimming style of real dogs. This design, combined with precise weight distribution and buoyancy control, enables the robot to maintain stable aquatic movement. The team tested three distinct paddling gaits:

- Two doggy paddle-inspired approaches focused on speed and propulsion

- A trot-like paddling style optimized for stability

Results from these experiments demonstrated that the doggy paddle gaits provided superior speed, reaching a maximum water velocity of 0.576 kilometers per hour (kph), while the trot-like gait prioritized stability over speed. On solid ground, the robotic dog can achieve speeds of up to 1.26 kph, making it highly versatile for various amphibious applications.

"This innovation marks a significant advancement in the design of nature-inspired robots," said Yunquan Li, corresponding author of the study. "Our robotic dog's ability to efficiently traverse both water and land is due to its bioinspired trajectory planning, which closely mimics the natural paddling gaits of real dogs. The double-joint leg structure and diverse paddling gaits effectively address the limitations of previous designs, offering improved speed and maneuverability."

Research Report:Amphibious robotic dog: design, paddling gait planning, and experimental characterization