  Experimental wave generation in channels is usually achieved through
wavemakers (moving paddles) acting on the surface of the water. Although
practical for engineering purposes, wavemakers have issues: they perform poorly
in the generation of long waves and create evanescent waves in their vicinity.
In this article, we introduce a framework for wave generation through the
action of an underwater multipoint mechanism: the pedal-wavemaking method. Our
multipoint action makes each point of the bottom move with a prescribed
pedalling-like motion. We analyse the linear response of waves in a uniform
channel in terms of the wavelength of the bottom action. The framework
naturally solves the problem of the performance for long waves and replaces
evanescent waves by thin boundary layer at the bottom of the channel. We also
show that a proper synchronisation of orbital motion on the bottom can produce
waves that mimic deep water waves. This last feature has been proved to be
useful to study fluid-structure interaction in simulations based on smoothed
particle hydrodynamics.
