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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."

5 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Anyone else miss the cold war? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    According to the researchers, such robots 'could cooperatively track moving targets underwater, such as groups of whales...
    Anyone else miss the cold war? In the eighties the press release about such gizmos would have mentioned "commie subs poised to vaporize Dick, Jane and their good ol' American homestead on a few minutes notice." Instead, we're left with following "groups of whales" around - sheesh.
    1. Re:Anyone else miss the cold war? by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

      Oh and they still have the ability to kill every single man woman and child on this planet in less than 12 hours.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. Skin depth -- why submarines use VLF radio by compumike · · Score: 5, Informative

    They talk about trouble with communications while underwater, but the Skin effect describes how in a conductive media (say, seawater), various frequencies of electromagnetic waves are attenuated with distance. In short, high frequencies travel less distance into the material than lower frequencies. This is why the requirements for shielding of different electronics can be very different -- higher operating frequency implies thinner shielding. And of course it's also why submarines use very low frequencies to communicate. (See also LORAN positioning system.)

    --
    Hey code monkey... learn electronics!

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

    What happens when another fish mistakenly eats the robofish?

  4. need a better apronym by slew · · Score: 5, Funny

    Instead of calling them "autonomous fin-actuated underwater vehicles", perhaps they could call them "autonomous fin-inducted submarine hybrid" or just AFISH for short...