The backswimmer fly is an aquatic insect, capable of regulating its buoyancy underwater. Its abdomen is covered with hemoglobin cells, used to bind and release oxygen, reversibly. Upon entering water, the fly entraps an air bubble in a superhydrophobic hairy structure on its abdomen for respiration. This bubble, however, can change its volume through regulated oxygen flow from the abdominal hemoglobin cells. In this way, it can reach neutral buoyancy without further energy consumption. In this study, we develop a small, centimeter scale, backswimmer inspired robot (BackBot) with auto-buoyancy regulation through controlled nucleation and release of microbubbles. The bubbles nucleate and grow directly on onboard electrodes through electrolysis, regulated by low voltage. We use 3D printing to introduce a three-dimensional bubble-entrapping cellular structure, in order to create a stable external gas reservoir. To reduce buoyancy forces, the bubbles are released through linear mechanical vibrations, decoupled from the robot's body. Through pressure sensing and a Proportional Integral Derivative control loop mechanism, the robot auto-regulates its buoyancy to reach neutral floatation underwater within seconds. This mechanism can promote the replacement of traditional and physically larger buoyancy regulation systems, such as pistons and pressurized tanks, and to enable the miniaturization of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

翻译：后水闪光苍蝇是一种水生昆虫, 能够调节水下浮力。 其腹部被血红蛋白细胞覆盖, 用来捆绑和释放氧气。 进入水时, 苍蝇会将一个气泡困在超级缺水的毛发结构中, 用于呼吸。 但是, 这个气泡可以通过调控腹部血红蛋白细胞的氧流来改变其体积。 这样, 它就可以达到中性浮力, 无需进一步消耗能源。 在这项研究中, 我们开发了一个小型的, 厘米尺度, 后水闪动激励机器人( BackBot), 并且通过受控的核核核素和微泡释放, 苍蝇会将气泡的气泡圈圈圈套套在机上, 通过电解, 我们用 3D 打印来引入一个三维气泡强化细胞结构, 以便建立稳定的外部气体储量库。 为了减少浮力, 我们的动力, 气泡会通过直线机械机械振动的振动振动振动、 软化、 软化的机压机压机压下, 升升升升升机机机机能, 升升升升升升升升升升升升压机, 。