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View Full Version : Robotic fish swim in a aquarium!


mechanicalbrain
07-10-2005, 20:20
Researchers at the University of Essex have created a robotic fish and delivered them to the London Aquarium (http://www.physorg.com/news7029.html) for public viewing. The robotic fish have sensor-based controls and autonomous navigation capabilities. The robotic fish can find their own way around the tank safely, avoiding objects, reacting to their environment and not banging into the side of the tank. These biologically inspired robotic fish mimic the undulating movement of how real fish swim. These fish swim slowly, aiming for the speed of a tuna but can accelerate like a pike, can make sharp turns, and has the navigating skill of an eel. In the future the researchers hope to make the robofish look for its own charging station. They claim that the robofish is the world's first autonomous robotic fish (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313266.stm#) but there's probably someone (http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/technovel_robofish_041210.html) out there that would dispute that (http://www.robots.net/article/641.html). You can watch video of the robofish in action here (http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/%7Ejliua/video/G8/g6g8g9-short2.mpg) or on the sidebar of BBC's website (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313266.stm).
This article was amazing, especially the movie! Here (http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~jliua/videogal.htm) is a gallery of more movies :D and here (http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~jliua/picgallery.htm) is a picture gallery. On the coolness factor I give this a 10 out of ten. I especially like how the movement looks 100% real!

nehalita
07-10-2005, 20:42
That's just crazy. Soon, there's going to be a robotics zoo. It's not the same but it's definitely a marvel in itself.

tiffany34990
07-10-2005, 22:01
that's really interesting... thanks for sharing...

it's amazing what the world of robotics keeps bringing...who knows what we'll see next :)

Bill_Hancoc
07-10-2005, 22:10
This is a very likely (if one is ever to come into my ownership) subject to be flamed (painted just i case you were worried) or given some other radical paint job just to prove that yesss it still looks like a fish.

Enterprize
09-10-2005, 02:57
Interesting, but note that the fish from china was remotely controlled, whereas the London fish lays claim to the first autonomous. As for the students who presumably made an autonomous fish...*shrug*