Scientists Get Real Fish to Follow Robotic Fish
Posted on February 29, 2012
Scientists at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University have succeeded in getting real fish to follow a robotic fish. The real fish was not very interested in following the robot fish, built by Stefano Marras and Maurizio Porfiri, unless it was beating its tail. The researchers suspect the real fish is gaining a "hydrodynamic advantage obtained by swimming in the robot's wake."
The researchers say some of the fish maintained a safe distance from the robot fish even while continuing to swim in motion with the robot. Perhaps, some of the fish were a little suspicious of the robot fish.
Maurizio Porfiri told MSNBC that these robot fish could help steer real fish away from pollution or other dangers. The research was published here in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
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