Experiment Systems





Water tunnel system

  • Wireless Two Axis Airbrushing Carriage

  • High frequency actuator

  • Z leveling system

  • Lateral position control actuator (fisherman)

  • Digital controlled water tunnel

  • 3D PIV system



​Carriage and Position Reset Wireless two-axis airbrushing carriage is the key to the whole experiment system. Seven digital controlled air bushings were installed on lateral and streamwise directions which allow the inner carriage float on the x-y plane with almost no friction force. To eliminate all possible disturbance, I designed and deployed wireless communication to the carriage which transmit command and measured signals between desktop PC and on-carriage microcontroller wirelessly. For maneuver and Ground effects projects, the carriage reset system (Fishman) provides precise control on the initial lateral position of the inner carriage.



​High frequency actuator

To explore high-performance swimming, I designed a rotary-based high-frequency actuator help me push the experiment to a much higher speed (up to 1 m/s) and frequency (up to 7 Hz) than most previous studies. This actuator consists of three individual parts:

  • frequency module (0.5-7 Hz)

  • amplitude module ( 0-35°)

  • pitch bias module (0-20°)




​Z leveling System The Z leveling system provides two essential functions:

  • Adjust the balance of the two-axis airbrushing system within +/-0.001°

  • Control the Z-axis position (0.125 mm resolution) as the foundation for the 3D PIV system

  • pitch bias module (0-20°)

Besides, the Z leveling has the potential to create a virtual force on the carriage to simulate external force on propulsor/ robot fish.



​3D PIV System

I designed a semi-automated 3D PIV system to understand the complex wake structure of bio-inspired robots. This system consists of a pair of high-speed cameras, a pair of lasers, and the Z leveling System.