Engineers have created a new robotic wing that can sense changes in water and instantly adjust its shape, helping underwater robots stay stable in rough conditions.
Inspired by the flexible movements of birds and fish, the invention could make future ocean robots more agile, energy-efficient, and reliable.
The research team, led by the University of Southampton, designed the wing using soft robotics and a special electronic “skin” that allows it to feel disturbances in the water.
When currents or turbulence hit, the wing automatically changes stiffness and shape to counteract the force.
This ability mimics how animals naturally adapt to their environments. Birds adjust their feathers to shifting air, while fish detect water movement through sensitive organs along their bodies.
Traditional autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs, rely on rigid wings and bodies. These designs struggle when sudden currents push against them, forcing the robots to use large amounts of energy to stay on course.
The new flexible wing takes a different approach by working with the water instead of fighting it.
In laboratory tests, the wing dramatically reduced the sudden jolts caused by underwater currents. Compared with rigid wings commonly used today, it cut these disturbances by 87 percent.
It also reacted up to four times faster than other soft robotic wings and used only a fraction of the energy required by systems that rely on heat to change shape.
A key part of the design is the electronic skin, or e-skin. Made from flexible silicone embedded with liquid metal wires, it acts like a network of nerves.
As the wing bends or moves, the wires send signals that allow the system to detect what is happening in the surrounding water. Inside the wing, small hydraulically controlled tubes adjust stiffness and curvature in real time, allowing the wing to stabilize itself automatically.
Researchers tested the wing against both rigid designs and simpler soft wings without sensing ability. The new version proved far more effective at maintaining stability, even outperforming some natural examples during gliding conditions. Scientists caution that direct comparisons with animals are complex, but the results highlight how powerful the design could be.
The technology could lead to underwater robots that are safer and more efficient in challenging environments such as deep-sea exploration, environmental monitoring, offshore energy maintenance, and search-and-rescue missions. Robots equipped with adaptive wings may be able to operate longer on less power while handling unpredictable ocean conditions.
Challenges remain before the technology can be widely used. Engineers still need to scale up the design, ensure it works reliably in real-world conditions, and integrate it with the rigid parts of existing underwater vehicles. However, the researchers believe stronger actuators and further refinements could improve performance even more.
By blending biology with advanced engineering, the new wing represents a shift toward softer, smarter machines that cooperate with nature rather than resist it. If successful, it could mark a major step forward in how robots explore and work in the ocean’s dynamic environment.
Source: University of Southampton.
