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'Robofish' Schools the Rest

Posted by timothy on from the you-gotta-license-for-that? dept.

schliz writes "Biologists from the University of Leeds have built a computer-controlled replica of a three-spined stickleback fish to study how the behavior of individual fish might influence the movement of others. The so-called 'Robofish' was able to recruit single fish into a group, and cause fish in groups of up to ten to turn in the same direction as itself. The researchers claim that Robofish is the first robotic fish to 'interact convincingly' with a school of fish and convince the whole group to make a sharp turn."

5 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. Traditional fishing by WarJolt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Traditional fishing would be obsolete. Just "recruit" the fish into the net.

    1. Re:Traditional fishing by chichilalescu · · Score: 5, Interesting

      from the article:

      "Dubbed 'Robofish', the device is a plaster cast of a three-spined stickleback fish that is mounted on a rare-earth magnet.
      It is controlled by an electromagnet that is located beneath the tank and controlled, in turn, by TestPoint and Microsoft Excel software packages on a PC"

      I don't really understand why they call it a robot, since it's just a magnet being pulled and pushed from the exterior. Anyway, with this kind of setup, this can not be used in the open ocean.

      I'm actually disappointed, as after the japanese made robots that can dance, making a robotic fish doesn't seem that complicated.

      --
      new sig
    2. Re:Traditional fishing by dominious · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Anyway, with this kind of setup, this can not be used in the open ocean.

      The point of this work was to study the behaviour of fish. Now that we know the behaviour, we can go on and build a better robot.

    3. Re:Traditional fishing by MRe_nl · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This really reminds me of the Jack Vance short story, "The Sub-Standard Sardines".

      Traditional fishing is almost obsolete, but for different reasons.

      Our oceans are not yet empty but the signs are not good. The seas have always been humanity's single largest source of protein, but for the first time in history this critical food supply is at risk in many areas. Despite an ever-intensifying fishing effort, the global catch appears to have reached its limit while the demand for seafood continues to grow.

      According to the FAO, 15 of the world's 17 major ocean fisheries are already depleted or over-exploited. These trends are even more troubling when population growth is considered. The world population - now at six billion - will continue to grow by over 60 million people per year, with nearly half this growth in areas within 100 kilometers of a coastline. Over one billion people in Asia already depend on ocean fish for their entire supply of protein, as does 1 out of every 5 Africans. Although North America and Europe rely less on ocean-caught protein, much of the seafood consumed on both continents is imported from developing countries. The entire world shares an interest in restoring and maintaining this critical food supply.
      Empty Oceans, Empty Nets

      --
      "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
  2. Video by MMatessa · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's a site with a video of Robofish in action.