The design of scaled robotic end effectors to mimic razor clam burrowing

This thesis reviews the design of two scaled mechanical end effectors that mimic the digging of Ensis directus, the Atlantic Razor Clam. Modeled after a 0.5x Ensis scale device, the end effectors are 1.0x and 2.0x Ensis scale. The end effectors will be coupled to a pneumatic robotic actuator to explore the nondimensional relationships governing the digging dynamics of razor clams in littoral substrates. Such dynamics could be exploited to construct novel mimetic engineering devices which would provide an order-of-magnitude improvement over existing subsea burrowing and anchoring technologies.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Bollini, Mario Attilio

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Anette Hosoi.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54526

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/54526