The beginning of this project was deliberating what methods we wanted to use to test the efficiency of propulsion system using flippers and how to model it. Our first step was researching current methods of systems that exist. We found that mimicking the same movement as animals that have fins such as dolphins, turtles and other sea life would be the best to model after.

After a few meetings our team created a basic design to test the efficiency of a propulsion based system based on flippers versus a blade propeller! The design consists of an oval shaped structure where water will be placed. On this structure we will place the design for our system that will be mounted and placed inside. Using servomotors, the fin will be moving in a periodic movement with two degrees of freedom. There will be two of these placed a certain distance apart moving in opposite directions in order to create maximum thrust.

Damian Torres, Efficiency of Aquatic Locomotion Using Flippers