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A Self-Sensing Phase-Change Buoyancy System for Miniaturized Deep-sea Robotics

  • Zonghao Zuo
  • , Xia He
  • , Haoxuan Wang
  • , Qiyi Zhang
  • , Zhuyin Shao
  • , Li Wen*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Buoyancy systems play a vital role in the efficient movement and control of deep-sea robots. Traditional buoyancy systems for these robots rely on high-pressure hydraulic pumps and heavy pressure-resistant shells, resulting in notable increases in size, mass, and cost. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a lightweight, high-pressure-resistant, self-sensing buoyancy adjustment device that can accommodate the multimodal movement requirements of miniaturized deep-sea robots. Drawing inspiration from the buoyancy regulation mechanism of sperm whales, we have developed a self-sensing phase-change buoyancy regulation system tailored for miniaturized robots, designed to operate in extreme deep-sea environments. Each module weighs only 35g while providing 4g of buoyancy adjustment. Experimental results demonstrate that the system maintains stable operation under hydrostatic pressures of 30MPa. When integrated into a miniaturized deep-sea robot, this module successfully enables controlled buoyancy for multimodal movement in aquatic environments.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIROS 2025 - 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Conference Proceedings
EditorsChristian Laugier, Alessandro Renzaglia, Nikolay Atanasov, Stan Birchfield, Grzegorz Cielniak, Leonardo De Mattos, Laura Fiorini, Philippe Giguere, Kenji Hashimoto, Javier Ibanez-Guzman, Tetsushi Kamegawa, Jinoh Lee, Giuseppe Loianno, Kevin Luck, Hisataka Maruyama, Philippe Martinet, Hadi Moradi, Urbano Nunes, Julien Pettre, Alberto Pretto, Tommaso Ranzani, Arne Ronnau, Silvia Rossi, Elliott Rouse, Fabio Ruggiero, Olivier Simonin, Danwei Wang, Ming Yang, Eiichi Yoshida, Huijing Zhao
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages6920-6926
Number of pages7
ISBN (Electronic)9798331543938
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025
Event2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2025 - Hangzhou, China
Duration: 19 Oct 202525 Oct 2025

Publication series

NameIEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
ISSN (Print)2153-0858
ISSN (Electronic)2153-0866

Conference

Conference2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, IROS 2025
Country/TerritoryChina
CityHangzhou
Period19/10/2525/10/25

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