Robotic Fishes May Save Aquatic Life During Disasters

With a motive to minimize human interference in the fish’s migration routes, few years back, a team of scientists from the University of Leeds conducted an experiment and allowed a plaster-model Robofish to swim in the water. Fortunately, they could somehow observe that a few live fishes followed the Robofish.

#-Link-Snipped-#

Recently, researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University conducted a similar experiment. They used a well-built robotic fish. Basically, two members Maurizio and Stefano Marras took an initiative for conducting a study which would steer fishes away to save fish populations at the time of environmental disasters.

To begin with, the biomimetic fish (as the researchers call it) was placed in a tunnel of water and allowed to swim with few other golden shiners. Initially, the scientists kept its tail absolutely inactive and observed that the shiners showed little or no interest. But as the observation count began to rise, they allowed the tail to move naturally and the shiners showed interest to follow the biomimetic fish.

The observation was of great importance to the researchers which led to a conclusion that - with increase in speed of the tail, tail move of the fishes following was more or less slower. This is due to the fact that fishes were saving energy by swimming in the backwash of the robotic fish.

Moreover, groups of biomimetic fish could be used in the near future in the natural habitats to steer school of wild fishes away from polluted areas which may minimize their extinction. On the other hand, Robotic birds may possibly be used to save birds of its kind.  Indulging into Environmental Saving Activities is definitely a token of pride and honor. Let’s save them.

Source: #-Link-Snipped-#