Bionic Dolphin

Ah, the bionic dolphin has arrived to fulfill all our dolphin-envy needs. A company called Innespace has created Flipper's bionic brother (minus a frickin' laser beam on its head we had demanded) which they say uses forward momentum and a downward lift of their wings to fly underwater. Their current model, the uncomfortably-named Sweet Virgin Angel, can perform dolphinish tricks like jumping and barrel rolling, and their next model due in 2005 is gonna be a two-seater so then you too can join in the water fun.

[Via TRFJ]

[photogeek @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

reminds you of a Tintin comic, anyone? only it's a shark in the comic, not a dolphin...

[jah schlong @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

the dolphins are NOT going to like this. have you ever met an angry dolphin? looks like a hull breach to me. but then again, i'm no little nemo *~*

[Camilo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

so we can get close to classified instalations disguised as dolphins, now? or become Greenpeace activists trashing trawlers nets?

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

2 things:

1. Can you say military applications? Imagine a fleet of armed dolphins swimming out of portholes in a ship and surrounding enemy ships.

2. It would be really, really funny to drive one of these around an inland fresh-water lake. Some fisherman is going to look over and see a dolphin jumping out of the lake and is going to totally freak out :)

[Ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

Sweet Virgin Angel is the name? There is only one name which could be better and it is "Super Happy A+ Number 1 Sweet Virgin Angel Sparkle Suprise Dolf-tron"

[holophile @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

I remember seeing this years ago on "Beyond2000" on the discovery channel.... The biggest problem is that it doesn't actually have neutral buoyancy. "These positively buoyant vessels use their forward momentum and the downward lift of their wings to literally fly below the water's surface."
That's why the pictures never show it completely submerged and also why they literally pop out of the water.

[Doc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:57AM]

Whoops, they got it wrong again!
BionicDolphin.com is the ONLY place to get one of these.
Innespace.com is the place to go to schedule a public performance.