Science & Tech

This Robotic Fish Can Swim Pretty Well With Its Two Wavy Fins

by Derrick Rossignol
Jun 20 2018 • 5:00 AM

The robots are coming for us. You already knew that, surely, but things are different now. They’re pretty fast, and I’m not just talking about self-driving vehicles (although those are quickly becoming more advanced as well). Cars can only get us on the road, but a robot that is capable of running and jumping over obstacles can come after us fleshy organ bags just about anywhere. Water isn’t exactly our domain as humans, but if we were to need to hide out from the bots in the murky depths of the oceans, we wouldn’t really be safe from them down there either, because now there’s a fish robot that’s pretty darn good at doing fish stuff (via LaughingSquid).

Youtube Video play button
BionicFinWave was created by the folks at Festo, a German robotics company. According to their website, BionicFinWave emulates creatures like marine planarian, cuttlefish and Nile perch, which “use their fins to generate a continuous wave, which advances along their entire length.” Based on the video the company has shared, it looks like that’s exactly what the robot is doing. The gorgeously-shot clip shows the robot navigating through an acrylic pipe system, and its movements look fluid and natural. The robot is also “able to communicate with the outside world wirelessly and transmit data – such as the recorded sensor values for temperature and pressure – to a tablet,” meaning that it could prove useful in situations where humans aren’t able to conveniently access underwater spaces (or access them at all).

What do you think of this robotic fish? Are there other examples of robotic creatures that everybody should know about? Share your wisdom down in the comments section below!

Featured image: FestoHQ/YouTube