The research results of Tardez et al. were published in the journal Intelligent Materials and Structures. Tardez said that jellyfish swimming is simple and effective, so it can be used as an ideal model for underwater robots. In addition, mechanical jellyfish use hydrogen as fuel, and theoretically, its energy will be inexhaustible. Tardez said, "As far as we know, this is the first underwater robot that uses external hydrogen as a fuel source." Jellyfish use the annular muscles in their umbrellas to move. When they contract, the umbrella film encloses the jellyfish's body and discharges water, thus pushing the body forward. When the muscles relax, the umbrella membrane will return to its original state. In order to simulate the movement mechanism of jellyfish, robots must use alloys with shape memory ability, which means that the materials used can remember the original shape. Then, these materials are encapsulated in carbon nanotubes and coated with a layer of platinum black powder.
The power of mechanical jellyfish comes from the heat generated by the chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen in water and platinum on the surface. The heat generated by the chemical reaction is transferred to the artificial "muscle" of the mechanical jellyfish, enabling it to stretch and deform. This means that mechanical jellyfish can get renewable fuel from the surrounding water instead of relying on limited battery energy. The research team believes that the energy of mechanical jellyfish should be inexhaustible. So far, the mechanical jellyfish is still in the early stage of research and development, but researchers say that this robot will eventually be applied to underwater rescue operations. This mechanical jellyfish can stretch eight bodies at the same time. Researchers are considering how to improve and control each body separately in a more convenient way. If a solution can be found, the improved version of mechanical jellyfish activity will be more flexible.
This research was sponsored and supported by the United States Naval Research Institute. They hope that this invention can be applied to the US Navy and Marine Corps.