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Robotic Fish Track Targets, Communicate With One Another

Posted by Soulskill on from the there's-a-fish-net-joke-here-somewhere dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Many of today's underwater robots need to periodically come up to the surface to communicate with their human supervisors. But researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a new kind of underwater vehicle. The 'Robofish' can work cooperatively with each other. 'The Robofish, which are roughly the size of a 10-pound salmon, look a bit like fish because they use fins rather than propellers.' According to the researchers, such robots 'could cooperatively track moving targets underwater, such as groups of whales or spreading plumes of pollution, or explore caves, underneath ice-covered waters, or in dangerous environments where surfacing might not be possible.' Further information and more pictures are also available for these autonomous fin-actuated underwater vehicles."

6 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Prey by mofonius · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What happens when another fish mistakenly eats the robofish?

    1. Re:Prey by Monoliath · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm very interested in the answer your question, as I'm sure the materials used to manufacture this robo fish are incredibly poisonous.

      I can't believe the forward thinking about oceanic pollution when it comes to putting devices like this in the water is not present when it comes to their prototype development. It's like we're right back in the excessive product commercialism of the 50's and 60's all over again...despite the education and technology behind ecological systems these days.

  2. Re:Anyone else miss the cold war? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Actually just wait a bit more. the Former USSR is now pissed at the USA once again. (Something about our asshole practices of pushing our laws on them) and poised to whip the populace back up in a Hate amarica furvor once again. It's not just our bush baby that's done that... soul-seeing or not. Vladimir Putin is an ex-KGB chief, so he's been steering people back toward the US-is-the-enemy frame because, for him, it's a known-working means of controlling the population. He sees the Cold War as the good old days when things were simpler, and is working to bring that back. Note his inability to rescind power.

    Changing topics, I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the obvious utility of this technology for developing fully-robotic laser-armed sharks...
  3. Surf Patrol by Talisman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They need to make one roughly the size of a killer whale that targets and chases sharks out of areas where people engage in water activities, such as surfing.

    --

    "Study your math, kids. Key to the universe." -The Archangel Gabriel
  4. Re:Anyone else miss the cold war? by jackharrer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Even more. Putin started camps for kids that are in principle very similar to HitlerJugend. There's also a quite a big nationalist movement in Russia.

    There's a big chance that new cold war will start but it'll be much different that the previous one. It can be 3 sided with China taking also strong-arming especially in Asia and Africa. Oh, in Brazil also. Also technical advancements changed many aspects of warfare, you can see it when you look at cyberattacks originating from China.

    --

    "an experienced, industrious, ambitious, and often, quite often, picturesque liar" - Mark Twain
  5. Roland's blogspam by 1u3hr · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In every one of Roland Piquepaille's submissions he links to his own blog at the nd "Further information...". This of course is just stuff he's plagiarised from the original sites. Slashdot encourages this thief and rewards him by linking him on the front page, elevating his pagerank.