Video: MIT robofish set to snoop the deep seas

MIT has been at this robotic fish lark for a long, long time, and its latest iteration is a true testament to all the effort and energy put in. The first prototype, 1994's Robotuna, was four feet long and had 2,843 parts driven by six motors, whereas the new robofish is no longer than a foot, carries one motor and has exactly ten components, including the flexible polymer body. The hardy and relatively inexpensive drones can be used as substitutes for AUVs in tight spaces, inhospitable environments and the like, but their earliest adopters are likely to be supervillains in need of surveillance bots for their moats. Video after the break.

[Via CNN]

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[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 6:43AM]

Just need robot chips and we are there!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 6:45AM]

Hopefully not the silicon flavored ones. I'm trying to watch my weight!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 9:06AM]

What happens when something eats it?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 10:34AM]

@QuantumPhysics

..we get to see what's inside a bigger fish! *GASP*

[One Love Posted Sep 2nd 2009 12:10PM]

what, no lasers?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 2:22PM]

Now all we need are fricking lasers.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 5:09PM]

A robot fish? Suddenly I get an unpleasant feeling of deja vu...

[Brickster Posted Sep 2nd 2009 6:52AM]

I'm actually rather excited to see more news about anything that involves exploring the deep sea, there's so much we don't know about what's down there.
Even if these aren't meant to go where we've never been, it's still quite encouraging to know research is ongoing.

[Gad Get Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:14AM]

Well, these are meant more for discrete surveillance from public fish ponds. Beware the ponds!

[Gad Get Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:15AM]

*discreet*

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 6:56AM]

Yum, Sashimi.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 6:58AM]

I wonder how they're going to manage to avoid being seen as lunch by the other residents...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:11AM]

Ancestor of the hydrobots.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:13AM]

Remember the fish from GI Joe, looks like they were real after all

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:33AM]

I'm going to get two and call them Lennon and McCartney because that's what Lister would have done.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 7:50AM]

These will get eaten so quickly.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:51AM]

Agreed. Go to 5:30 (smaller>bigger?) ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN8EULbKXOw&feature=related

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:16AM]

One question... Will they have Frickin Lasers on their heads?

[mtkupp Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:31AM]

inhospitable environments - right, looks like a lot of shark colonoscopies to me.

[venkateshnt Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:42AM]

Fun, if these get bit by white sharks!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:53AM]

I didn't see a laser mount on their frickin' heads.....Weak.

[Professor Kaos Posted Sep 2nd 2009 8:59AM]

If fish could have expressions, I'd love to see one when another fish trys to make the sexy time with this one hahahaha

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 9:56AM]

Are they ill tempered?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 11:31AM]

i guess...
they should be equiped with sonic wave emitter...
to ward off the bigger fish eating them...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 12:14PM]

I wonder what kind of lure they'd go after.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 2nd 2009 11:56PM]

AKA RoboBait

[noidea Posted Sep 3rd 2009 12:20AM]

want one

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 3rd 2009 2:36AM]

Now I understand how Google intends to map the waterways.