水中における化学物質源の能動的探索システム Active Chemical Sampling System for Underwater Chemical Source Localization?
2016.02.01
Journal of Sensors (2016)
流れのない水中での化学物質の探索は、物質源から放出された化学物質が物質源のすぐ近くにとどまるため、難しいことが知られている。本研究では、小型水中ロボットの化学的受容性を高めるための能動的水サンプリングのシステムを開発した。本システムでは、4つの化学センサが吸水管の前に整列され、周囲から水サンプルを能動的に吸引する。センサの前に配置されたスリットは、様々な方向から入射する化学物質をまっすぐセンサへと導く。センサが最も化学物質を感知した方向にシステムを動かす。吸引、感知、移動を繰り返すことによって、流れのない水中でも物質源を見つけることができる。今後は流れの条件と化学溶液の回収効率について、ザリガニの機構等と照らし合わせて研究を進めてゆく。本研究は、水中で化学物質を探知するロボットの設計開発の第一歩となるものである。
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This paper investigates the effect of active water sampling to enhance chemical reception for small underwater robots. The search for a chemical source in a stagnant water environment is not an easy task because the chemical solution released from the source stays in the close vicinity of the source. No signal is obtained even if a robot with chemical sensors is placed a few centimeters from the chemical source. In the system under study, four electrochemical sensors are aligned in front of a suction pipe that draws water samples from the surroundings. Owing to the smooth laminar flow converging to the suction port, the streak of the chemical solution drawn to the sensors is shaped into a thin filamentous form. To prevent the chemical solution from passing between the sensors without touching their surfaces, slits are placed in front of the sensors to guide the incoming chemical solution from different directions to the corresponding sensors. A chemical source can be located by moving the system in the direction of the sensor showing the largest response. It is also shown that the chemical reception at the sensors can be significantly enhanced when the system is wobbled to introduce disturbances. Future work will include comparing the flow field and the chemical sample collection efficiency of the suction system and those of jet entrainment systems, for example, the crayfish robot and real crayfish.
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