SethWeiner
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Terranaut II: Fish finally gets its ride pimped
Yes, we know you all weren't expecting this invention until about the year 3000 from a shifty scientist named Wernstrom, and yet here we are in -- hold on, let us check our watch -- 2006 and already the reverse wetsuit for fish has nearly been perfected. Now granted, Seth Weiner's Terranaut II rig doesn't allow its Blood Parrot fish occupant to run around like a madman on robotic legs -- in fact, the "pilot" is lucky to hit 1MPH in this wheeled contraption -- but imagine the freedom it must feel being able to navigate its once-stationary bowl throughout some of the world's finest art galleries. (Unlike us, we bet the little critter can even distinguish a Manet from a Monet). The rather simple vehicle uses a digital camera to track fishy's movements in the bowl, and propel itself in the corresponding direction -- although from the quick cuts on the sample video, it would seem that there's less forward momentum and more spinning around in circles. Still, it's nice to see someone giving these creatures a shot at mobility, and when all the radioactive waste we dump into their natural habitats eventually turns them into super-smart mutants, we hope they'll remember this small gesture before stuffing us into glass cages and feeding us processed members of our own species.[Via digg]
