Open-source five degree of freedom motion platform for investigating fish-robot interaction

Abstract

This paper presents the design, construction, operation, and validation of a robotic gantry platform specifically designed for studying fish-robot interaction. The platform has five degrees of freedom to manipulate the three-dimensional position, yaw angle, and the pitch of a lure. Additionally, it has a four-conductor slip ring that allows power and data to be transmitted to the lure for the operation of fins and other actuators that increase realism or act as stimuli to focal fish during an ethorobotic experiment. The design is open-source, low-cost, and includes purpose-built electronics, software, and hardware to make it extensible and customizable for a number of applications with varying requirements.