Kinematics and Performance of Maneuvering Control Surfaces in Teleost Fishes

摘要

Teleost fishes present a wide diversity of both maneuvering behaviors and hydrodynamic mechanisms to control maneuvering. Maneuvering behaviors include small yaw and pitch turns that either correct perturbations to some desired heading or reorient fish in a new heading, large yaw and pitch turns that are used to reverse direction, rapid yaw turns used for escape from a threatening stimulus, rapid accelerations for escape or the pursuit of prey, braking, reversing and hovering in still water or a bidirectional surge. The ability to exploit resources in structurally complex and high-energy habitats such as wave swept rocky shores and coral reefs using a diverse repertoire of maneuvering behaviors suggests that fishes are a good model for transferring biological information to the design and control of autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs). While the entire body and fin surface of fishes function in maneuvering control, the combination of fin and body motions necessary to actuate a maneuver differ both within individuals among behaviors and within behaviors among individuals and species. A qualitative comparison of swimming behavior among a diverse array of fishes suggests two general principles. First, while axial (body) undulations are used by most fishes for steady swimming at typical cruising speeds, maneuvers are commonly controlled by fin motions with or without axial bending. Second, the tremendous variation in the combination of fin shapes and motions suggest that no single phenotype is optimal for the complete suite of maneuvering behaviors. The goal of this paper, then, is not to suggest the best species for an AUV blueprint because the design of any one species reflects both the distinct signature of its history and a mind-boggling array of trade-offs due to competing demands on functional systems. Instead, the goal of this paper is to review the kinematic control mechanisms used for maneuvering, compare the performance consequences of this variation, and use general principles distilled from these studies to suggest biology-inspired technologies for AUV design that best match the desired function.