The goal of this engineering project is to create the first robot capable of aerial and aquatic locomotion. There are no existing robots that can cope with conditions, such as those created by floods and extreme storms, that require locomotion through water and air. The Flying Fish Bot aims to be the first robot to successfully cope with these variable conditions by incorporating multimodal locomotion into its design.

The robot's design is inspired by the California flying fish. Basic parameters derived from the flying fish were tested in modeling software. I subsequently created 3D models of the robot's structures based on the fish and subjected them to virtual wind tunnel tests. The robot was tweaked and the wings were shifted until the optimum conditions were achieved. I chose to use a propellor to propel the robot through the water and into the air because implementing an actuating tail was not realistically possible with the materials I had available. Micro servos are used to retract and extend wings upon entry and exit from the water, respectively, by pulling wires in and then having springs return the wings to their original positions. The tail and wings are 3D-printed to achieve precision, attain the aerodynamics that were modelled virtually, and create lightwieght and durable components. The body frame is made out of chicken wire wrapped in latex to achieve a high level of structural integrity while remaining water proof. The internal circuitry is sprayed with a highly hydrophobic solution to protect it in case of a hole in the latex skin. Exposed wire ends that poke through the skin detect when the robot is submerged, in order to extend and retract the wings at the appropriate times.

The robot was able to successfully alternate between its flying and gliding modes, but it was not able to fully breach the water, and as a result never got full airborne. The Flying Fish Bot did not succeed in becoming the first robot to successfully accomodate the parameters required by flight and swimming simultaneously, but it has laid solid groundwork for future models. The robot lost its impetus as it breached the water, which was likely a result of being too heavy, not having a strong enough motor, having too much drag, or losing its thrust as soon as the propellor left the water. Future models should investigate the use of different sealing methods to minimize excess weight, a stronger motor, a more versatile propellor, more dynamic self-adjusting wings, an actuating tail to replace the propellor, and more robust sensor systems.