Fish robot as an alternative marine propulsion system of the future (w/Video)
June 9, 2009The team of Darmstadt researchers analyzed videos of fish’s motions and then developed a prototype fish robot that duplicated them, and are now testing it using the locomotional patterns of various species of fish in order to refine it and improve its efficiency.
Their fish robot, dubbed “Smoky,” consists of a “skeleton” composed of ten segments enshrouded in an elastic skin that are free to move relative to one another and caused to undergo snaking motions similar to those of fish by waterproof actuators. Including its tail fin, the fish robot, which is a 5:1 scale model of a gilt-head sea bream, is 1.50 meters long.
The researchers hope that use of their fish robot for ship propulsion will help prevent shoreline erosion and the underminings of submarine installations caused by ships’ screws. The fish robot’s “soft” drive action should also prevent the churning up of seabeds and riverbeds and its effects on marine plants and aquatic-animal populations.
Video (in german)
This video is not supported by your browser at this time.
Source: TU Darmstadt
-
Video: Swine flu health tips
Apr 30, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Security Alert: Beware of SMS Messages That Can Take Control of Your Phone
Apr 20, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Two Robot Chefs Make Omelets
Dec 04, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Foldable phone opens into large OLED screen
Nov 24, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Dell Talking About 80-Core Chip Processor
Nov 20, 2008 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (30) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Empirical data regarding shower heads and water
1 hour ago
-
feed hold button on CNC lathe
20 hours ago
-
Mechanics of Solids ( Final exam question) please help!
22 hours ago
-
RFAC in Fortran
Feb 09, 2012
-
dynamics 2/32
Feb 08, 2012
-
dynamics
Feb 08, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - General Engineering
More news stories
Soraa LED light may dim 50-watt halogen rivals
(PhysOrg.com) -- Soraa, a Fremont, California company founded in 2008, this week launched its first product, a light that uses LEDS (light emitting diodes). The "Soraa LED MR16 lamp" is the "perfect" replacement ...
21 hours ago |
4.3 / 5 (17) |
18
|
Samsung can continue selling Galaxy tabs in Germany: court
South Korea's Samsung Electronics can continue to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1N tablet computer in Germany, a German court ruled Thursday, rejecting a bid by arch-rival Apple to have them banned.
19 hours ago |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
3
Google launches Chrome browser for Android smartphones
With more and more people connecting to the Internet through a phone or a tablet instead of a PC, Google Inc. is bringing its fast-growing browser, Chrome, to the newest Android-powered mobile devices.
17 hours ago |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
Digital photos could put kids at risk
A study published in the International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics this month suggests that parents and carers could be putting children at risk if they upload digital photos that are automatically "geota ...
15 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
3
First Google hire leaving for online academy
The first person hired by Google's founders is leaving the Internet giant to devote himself to an innovative online education website called Khan Academy.
9 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
'Dark plasmons' transmit energy
Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers at Rice University.
FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice
Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...
Hydrogen from acidic water: Researchers develop potential low cost alternative to platinum for splitting water
A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the widely used industrial catalyst molybdenite has been developed by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley ...
Ultraviolet protection molecule in plants yields its secrets
Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants, which have no means of escape. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading ...
Anyone can learn to be more inventive, cognitive researcher says
There will always be a wild and unpredictable quality to creativity and invention, says Anthony McCaffrey, a cognitive psychology researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, because an "Aha moment" is rare and ...
Flexible paper robots
(PhysOrg.com) -- These inexpensive robots can stretch, bend and twist under control, and lift objects up to 120 times their own weight. Being soft, they can apply gentle and even pressure, and adapt to varied ...
