Biomimetic Hydrofoil Propulsion: Harnessing the Propulsive Capabilities of Sea Turtles and Penguins for Robotics.

This review synthesizes current research on hydrofoil-propelled robots inspired by the swimming mechanisms of sea turtles and penguins. It begins by summarizing the swimming kinematics of these organisms, highlighting their superior aquatic performance as the primary motivation for biomimetic design. Next, established analytical methods for characterizing hydrofoil locomotion patterns are presented, along with a clear delineation of the decoupled motion components exhibited by sea turtle flippers and penguin wings.