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Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Mason, Richard J.
Author's Email Address	mason AT robotics.caltech.edu
URN	etd-05292003-160843
Persistent URL	http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-05292003-160843
Title	Fluid locomotion and trajectory planning for shape-changing robots
Degree	PhD
Option	Mechanical Engineering
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Joel W. Burdick Committee Chair Eric Antonnson Committee Member Richard Murray Committee Member T.Y. Wu Committee Member
Keywords	swimming robots motion planning
Date of Defense	2002-06-17
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Motivated by considerations of shape changing propulsion of underwater robotic vehicles, I analyze the mechanics of deformable bodies operating in an ideal fluid. I give particular attention to fishlike robots which may be considered as one or more flexing or oscillating hydrofoils. I then describe methods of planning trajectories for a fishlike robot or any other sort of robot whose locomotion has a periodic or quasi-periodic nature. This doctoral work was performed by Richard Mason at the California Institute of Technology. My thesis advisor was Professor Joel W. Burdick
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