Traditional rigid underwater vehicles pose risks to delicate marine ecosystems due to high-speed propellers and rigid hulls. This paper presents BactoBot, a low-cost, soft underwater robot designed for safe and gentle marine exploration. Inspired by the efficient flagellar propulsion of bacteria, BactoBot features 12 flexible, silicone-based arms arranged on a dodecahedral frame. Unlike high-cost research platforms, this prototype was fabricated using accessible DIY methods, including food-grade silicone molding, FDM 3D printing, and off-the-shelf DC motors. A novel multi-stage waterproofing protocol was developed to seal rotating shafts using a grease-filled chamber system, ensuring reliability at low cost. The robot was successfully tested in a controlled aquatic environment, demonstrating stable forward propulsion and turning maneuvers. With a total fabrication cost of approximately $355 USD, this project validates the feasibility of democratizing soft robotics for marine science in resource-constrained settings.

翻译：传统的刚性水下航行器因高速螺旋桨和刚性船体对脆弱的海洋生态系统构成风险。本文介绍了BactoBot，一种低成本、软体水下机器人，专为安全温和的海洋探索而设计。受细菌高效鞭毛推进机制的启发，BactoBot采用12个柔性硅胶臂排列在十二面体框架上。与昂贵的研究平台不同，该原型机通过可获取的DIY方法制造，包括食品级硅胶成型、FDM 3D打印和现成直流电机。开发了一种新颖的多级防水方案，利用油脂填充腔体系统密封旋转轴，以低成本确保可靠性。机器人在受控水生环境中成功测试，展示了稳定的前向推进和转向机动。总制造成本约为355美元，该项目验证了在资源有限环境下普及软体机器人用于海洋科学的可行性。