Robotic Fish Finally Swim Smooth

Robots have long been associated with stiff and rigid movements. The smooth gait of live beings has been difficult to perfect in robots but with the advance of technology it has become easier. The movements of the latest generation of robots is not as jerky as it used to be. Perhaps the most difference can be seen in robotic fish at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

So what makes these robotic fish different from their predecessors? For starters they have soft material on the exterior which is more flexible than the rigid materials used in the past. And the main deal is the fluid flowing through flexible channels within the body of the fish.

This robotic fish can even manage an escape maneuver by convulsing its body to change direction. Just like a real live fish would do and the robotic cousin can do it in a fraction of a second as well. So far the main focus of motion planning in a robot has been to avoid collisions with the environment.

With the robotic fish and their soft bodies there is no danger of the robot being harmed or harming anything even if they do manage to collide with something in the environment. That’s another reason why this science project related to soft robots is picking up steam.