Design and Experimentation of an Bacteria-Like Bionic Robot Based on Low Reynolds Number Hydrodynamics

Investigated how bacteria self-propel in low Reynolds number liquid environments and modeled the swimming state. Through dimensional analysis, a centimeter-sized bionic robot, driven by a rubber band simulating a flagellar motor, was designed and fabricated. Kinematic experiments were conducted to test the swimming speed of the robot in liquids of different viscosities and to analyze the relationship between the swimming speed and the flagellar rotation speed. The experimental results show that the bio-inspired robot can mimic the continuous swimming motion of bacteria driven by elastic forces with a maximum speed of 25 mm/s in water. These results provide further insights into the study of micro bionic robots.