Exploring Turning in Biohybrid Jellyfish

Recent work has explored the use of robotically controlled jellyfish for ocean exploration. To date, those studies have focused on unidirectional locomotion. Here we explore the biomechanics and fluid dynamics relating to turning in these biohybrid robots. To characterize the relationship between robotic control inputs and the subsequent turning dynamics, we test a centrally embedded microelectronic control system with a series of electrode configurations varying in spatial location and relative stimulation timing. Fluorescent tags are inserted into jellyfish tissue and tracked in videos. The kinematic measurements drawn from video processing software enable further measurements of contraction wave speeds in the animal body, informing the determination of control laws to eventually steer the organisms along desired trajectories. These findings can facilitate the development of biohybrid jellyfish that incorporate directed 3D locomotion.