The goal of this project was to create an underwater drone that would mimic the motion and movement patterns of a manta ray. Specifically, manta rays move their wings in a sinusoidal pattern to achieve mobuliform locomotion. This sinusoidal pattern is present both span-wise and chord-wise along the wing, and was the main focus of the project. 

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The wings were powered by 5 servos on either side, each of which went through a dynamic seal before controlling a wing spar. With individual control over each of the servos, the exact sin wave could be controlled, and variations could be tested in order to dial in efficient forward movement, turning, and depth control. 

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The entire system was made fully waterproof and tested thoroughly to ensure no electronics were damaged during prototyping and underwater testing. Specifically, a face seal was achieved using neoprene foam that was tested to a depth of 7 ft, and dynamic o-ring seals were placed at each of the 10 servo shafts which were tested to 130 psi (approx. 300ft).