Self-reconfigurable robotic fish swarms: Collective achievement of diverse locomotion and challenging aquatic tasks

Conventional aquatic robots are typically constrained by fixed morphology and single-mode locomotion, limiting adaptability to unstructured environments. Inspired by the diverse fin-driven locomotion strategies of natural fish, we present a self-reconfigurable robotic fish swarm system capable of operating across a wide range of aquatic conditions and tasks. Each robotic fish unit features autonomous physical assembly and disassembly capabilities by electropermanent magnets, enabling both connection and intermodule communication, allowing the swarm to dynamically reconfigure its morphology. Systematic evaluation reveals that swarm configurations substantially outperform individual units in various locomotion…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: U22A2062, 12272008, U23B2037