A robotic fish, made with silicone, that can swim independently with real fish in the ocean, has been developed by a team from the Laboratory of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAIL) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
His name is SoFi.
SoFi
The fish, which they have dubbed SoFi, has already been tested at the Rainbow Reef center in Fiji, where they swam at depths of more than 50 feet for 40 minutes. You can also document Marian life by taking high-resolution photos and videos using a 'fish-eye' lens. Compared to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), 'SoFi' has a much simpler and lighter configuration, with a single camera, a motor and the same lithium polymer battery found in smartphones.
Using its wavy tail and a unique ability to control its own buoyancy, 'SoFi' can swim in a straight line, rotate or dive up or down. According to Robert Katzschmann, lead author of the article published in Science Robotics:
As far as we know, this is the first robotic fish that can swim unattached in three dimensions for long periods of time. We are excited about the possibility of using a system like this to get closer to marine life than humans can do for themselves.
The entire back half of 'SoFi' is made of silicone rubber and flexible plastic, and several components are printed in 3D, including the head, which contains all electronic components.
We see SoFi as a first step to develop almost a type of underwater observatory. It has the potential to be a new kind of tool for ocean exploration and open new ways to discover the mysteries of marine life.