Micromotions and controllability of a swimming model in an incompressible fluid governed by 2D or 3D Navier--Stokes equations

Abstract

We study the local controllability properties of 2D and 3D bio-mimetic swimmers employing the change of their geometric shape to propel themselves in an incompressible fluid described by Navier-Stokes equations. It is assumed that swimmers' bodies consist of finitely many parts, identified with the fluid they occupy, that are subsequently linked by the rotational and elastic internal forces. These forces are explicitly described and serve as the means to affect the geometric configuration of swimmers' bodies. Similar models were previously investigated in [6]-[13].