ABSTRACT
Fish have attracted the interest of researchers due to their superior swimming ability compared to manmade devices. Traditionally, the body motions on fish robots have been implemented using complex mechanisms which employ several discrete, stiff components. As a result, several actuators are required, along with sophisticated controls[1, 2]. However, this design focuses on the spinal motion, ignoring the impacts of the muscles. Alternatively, Valdivia y Alvarado have proposed a compliant robotic fish made by the viscoelastic material [2, 3]. Although the resulting device is relative simpler and more robust, the research about the effects of body stiffness on the swimming performance has remained incomplete.
