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DeliciousCambridge (global-adventures.us): Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created robotic fish. The machines can swim through water in a school or otherwise maneuver in places where underwater submarines can’t go. The robots can be used to inspect submerged structures such as boats, oil and gas pipes, according to MIT-engineers Kamal Youcef-Toumi and Pablo Valdivia Y Alvarado. They are even capable to detect environmental pollutants.
Research dates back to 1994, when MIT engineers created a machine they called “Robotuna”, a four-foot long fish with 2,843 parts. The new robots are less than a foot long and have fewer than 10 components. They are powered by a motor in the fish’s midsection that creates a wave that travels along the fish’s body, propelling it forward.
The robots are made from soft plastic, making them more maneuverable like real fish. However, they cannot compete on speed yet. The researchers say they have been able to create robots that can swim about a tenth as fast as real fish.
