Researchers at the Harbin University of Engineering, in China, have developed a new deep-water robot of deep water which swims like a fish and appearances, all fueled by the ocean itself. This bionic robot, described in an article published in Science Robotics, is designed to closely observe delicate marine ecosystems, without disturbing them.
Scientists at the origin of this creation have developed a new electrohydraulic system which eliminates the rigid and bulky engines used in conventional submersibles, which are likely to be damaged. The robot is approximately 32 centimeters long and weighs approximately 670 grams. It has flexible structures on the sides that use the natural ions of surrounding seawater to create an electric field. This electric field moves a special fluid inside the robot silicone body from the robot from one side to the other, powdering the robot as a real fish.
This revolutionary design allows the robot to resist extreme conditions. The internal fluid and the flexible structure automatically balance the deep sea pressure. During the field tests, the robot plunged to a depth of 4,000 meters. The team also indicated that he had spent laboratory pressure tests at a depth of 10,000 meters (32,808 feet) and that he had resisted temperatures as low as 2 ° C (35.6 ° F). For comparison, the deepest part of the ocean – Challenger Deep – is only 10,935 meters deep.
Equipped with a camera and optical sensors, the robot-poison is well suited to discreet exploration and the study of biodiversity in deep environments so far inaccessible.