Bio-inspired Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
The Galatea-project is a student project of the faculty for Aerospace Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. The objective is to design, build and test a bio-inspired Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, a so called AUV.
Several consumers have a demand for an affordable, flexibele and unmanned underwater vehicle, a demand this project can fulfil. However, besides being a practical design assignment, Galatea is also an analysis project trying to understand the technology of Undulating Fin Propulsion better.
The Undulating Fin Propulsion technology is inspired by the graceful movement of the stingray. Advantages, compared to conventional propulsion techniques, are a more silent, stable, manoeuvrable and efficient way of propulsion.
We would like to direct you to the project abstract for a more extensive description of the project, which can be found on the multimedia page. By means of this website we would like to keep you informed of the development of the Galatea-project.
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| The model in the test section of the windtunnel, March 26th 2008. |
The prototype in the swimming pool, April 28th 2009. |
The team, existing of seven students of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering of the Delft University of Technology, builts the underwater robot by order of the Acoustic Remote Sensing group, which is part of the DEOS section. The project is being led by Prof. Dr. D.G. Simons and assisted by ir. D. Lentink, doctoral student Experimental Zoology of the Wageningen University and Research Centre. Furthermore the knowledge and expertise of several departments of the faculty are placed at the disposal of the team. A number of people from several companies represent the users.
The PHURA-project
The current Galatea-project is a separate continuation of the Design Synthesis Exercise 2007, the Bachelor final project of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. During this Design Synthesis Exercise two groups were given the assignment to develop a harbour protection system. By means of a swarm of underwater robots the harbour had to be protected against threats. One of the designs for such a system was the PHURA-project. Galatea is the corresponding concept for the AUV.
