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

We study the local controllability properties of generic 2-D and 3-D bio-mimetic swimmers employing the change of their geometric shape to propel themselves in an incompressible fluid described by the 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 introduced and investigated in [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10].