news> december 09>

Another fish swims into the robot pool

by Tim Hornyak | Submitted Thursday Dec 03, 2009 [11:40 AM]


Michigan State University researchers are spawning robot fish to monitor the quality of lake water and the effect of harmful algae.

The prototype fish resemble other robot fish, such as those being developed at MIT to check for pollutants in water.

An electric charge in the 9-inch MSU prototype causes its polymer fins to bend so the robotic perch can maneuver. Designs call for onboard sensors to record temperature, oxygen, pollutant, and algae data, which would be relayed to a docking station when the fish surfaces. GPS systems and infrared sensors could be developed to aid navigation.

“Fish are very efficient,” explained Xiaobo Tan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. “They can perform very efficient locomotion and maneuvering in the water.”

The fish are designed to be low-cost for applications such as monitoring aquafarms and water reservoirs. Compared with water sampling by humans, the robo-fish would provide a more regular data feed by communicating with each other and their docking station.

The MSU researchers hope to make the robot more robust so it can swim through currents. Currently it can only move through calm water.



People who read this, also read...

---

• iRobot Seaglider Wanders Oceans
• SensorFly for Hazardous Situations
• Robotic Vehicles to Look for Life in Arctic Depths
• Self-Aware Robot Can Adapt To Environment
• Canadian Robot Walks Underwater

---

Tags:fish  auv  underwater+exploration  Michigan+State+University 

(http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10390226-1.html?tag=mncol;title)

---

back to top