Design, characterization, and modeling of underwater robots for ethorobotics

In the recent years, robots have been adapted to study nature. In particular, they have been used to investigate animal behavior in controlled laboratory conditions or to explore the environment in animal-populated habitats. Thus, robotic instruments with varying degrees of bio-mimicry offer the capacity to study wildlife at close proximities and are the subject of the emerging field of "ethorobotics". Aside from their tremendous potential as the subject of fundamental research studies, these robots have been shown to be valuable means for attracting the general public toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields through formal and informal education programs and activities.;In this dissertation, we present and study several miniature and low-cost underwater platforms that make use of novel propulsion and steering methods for safe operation around animals. Mathematical models for these platforms are presented to describe their propulsive systems and motion. Experiments are performed to characterize unknown model parameters and to validate the models through comparison with the platforms' operation. Applications of these systems to ethorobotics experiments involving the zebrafish animal model and their use in K-12 education and outreach are also presented.