A group of scientists and engineers working out of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory over at MIT have developed a wonderfully realistic robotic fish that doesn't just look like a real fish but also swims like one, making it an excellent tool to get up close and personal with marine life for the purpose of scientific monitoring and study.
Dubbed SoFi, this robotic fish features a soft structure that consists of plastic and silicone rubber, while the interior is fitted with a lithium-polymer battery that works to power the robot's motor. The robot's tail is designed to produce a lateral movement when in motion, making this robotic fish look realistic so it doesn't spook the marine life it's supposed to be observing.
This robotic fish is just the latest and greatest example of biomimicry being adopted into robotic design for the purpose of non-invasive scientific study.
Image Credit: MIT CSAIL
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Biomimicry in Robotics
- Exploring the use of nature-inspired design principles in developing robots for non-invasive scientific study.
- Soft Robotics
- Utilizing flexible and elastic materials to construct robots that mimic the movements and behaviors of living organisms.
- Marine Life Monitoring
- Developing robotic tools specifically designed to observe and study marine life without causing disturbance.
Sectors Adopting This
- Research and Development
- Funding opportunities for developing and improving biomimetic robotic technologies for scientific exploration and monitoring.
- Aquatic Robotics
- Creating innovative autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with soft robotic features for a wide range of applications, including marine biology research.
- Ecological Monitoring
- Designing robotic systems capable of gathering non-invasive data to assess the health and behavior of marine ecosystems.
