Numerical study of maneuvering of a self-propelled undulatory batoid (Rajiform) swimmer

Batoid fishes are characterized by their dorsoventrally flattened disk-like bodies. In this study, we focus on Rajiform (undulatory) locomotion, where swimmers generate thrust by propagating backward traveling waves along each pectoral fin. Rajiform swimmers, like stingrays, maneuver themselves by introducing an asymmetry into their swimming kinematics; this involves modifying the parameters of the traveling wave passing over each pectoral fin, including changes in amplitude, frequency, direction, and phase. Since stingray pectoral fins are key to generating thrust and maneuvering, changes to the swimming kinematics result in very dynamic maneuvers, making it essential to consider a self-propelled swimmer to study the problem of maneuvering numerically. In this study, we perform high-fidelity fluid-structure interaction simulations of self-propelled stingrays using our in-house Immersed Boundary (IB) code. We study the effectiveness and stability of these maneuvers. By investigating the hydrodynamics of these maneuvers, we aim to provide insights that can help design more efficient underwater bio-inspired robots.