Compute Fluid drag, Swim Physics

[omerAF]

Hello,
I'm trying to create a simulation of swimming "Animats" (artificial animal). However, I'm only an high school student, so I don't know how to deal with fluid drag and fluid dynamics.
In this link you could find a short animation I made describing the swim motion my animat is going to follow.

I would appreciate it if anyone could explain me how to approach such sceneries, or refer me to an article I could learn from. If someone knows a physics engine that supports such movements, that would be even better.

p.s-that is my final goal

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to the PF.

This is a very ambitious project for a high school student, but also a great learning opportunity for you in several different subjects.

Can you tell us more about your math and physics and programming backgrounds so far? Have you had calculus yet? How much? Have you learned about vectors yet? Have you learned basic Newtonian Mechanics yet? (F=ma level)

What programming language and what graphics package are you planning on using for this project?

 

[omerAF]

Well, I learned vectors and newoton laws, finished calculus, but nothing else that could be important. I'm in eleventh grade, so I still got some thibgs to learn, but I do know the basics.

I'm pretty flexible with my programming language, I would rather use c# but if I would have to learn a new language I'd learn.

Thank you for the quick reply!