The very fishy robots do not require remote control. They mimic the undulating movement of real fish and will be equipped with chemical sensors, and transmit data through Wi-Fi technology when they dock to charge their batteries which last around eight hours. Each robofish is roughly the size of a seal and swims at about one metre per second."In using robotic fish we are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years' worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient. This efficiency is something we need to ensure that our pollution detection sensors can navigate in the underwater environment for hours on end."
British-built robotic fish to detect pollution
Yahoo News 19 Mar 09;
LONDON (AFP) - A shoal of robotic fish which can detect pollution in the water are set to be released into the sea off Spain, British scientists said Thursday.
The fish, which are some 1.5 metres long and resemble carp, will be fitted with detectors which can identify the sources of pollution, such as ship fuel or chemicals in the water.
Five of the robots, worth some 20,000 pounds (21,000 euros, 29,000 dollars) each, are being released into the Bay of Biscay at Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year joint project between engineering consultancy BMT Group and researchers at Essex University in southeast England.
The robots, which have an eight-hour battery and do not require remote control, are set to be released in around 18 months' time.
"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located," said Professor Huosheng Hu of Essex University, whose team is building the fish.
If successful, they hope the fish could be used around the world to prevent the spread of pollution.
Robotic fish are latest weapon in fight against water pollution
Robotic fish, developed by UK scientists, are to be released into the sea for the first time to detect pollution.
Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph 19 Mar 09;
The carp-shaped robots will be let loose in the port of Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year research project.
If successful, the team hopes that the fish will used in rivers, lakes and seas across the world, including Britain, to detect pollution.
The life-like creatures, which will mimic the undulating movement of real fish, will be equipped with tiny chemical sensors to find the source of potentially hazardous pollutants in the water, such as leaks from vessels in the port or underwater pipelines.
The fish will then transmit their data through Wi-Fi technology when they dock to charge their batteries with last around eight hours.
It has been funded by the European Commission and co-ordinated by BMT Group Ltd, an independent engineering and risk management consultancy.
Rory Doyle, senior research scientist at BMT Group, described the project as a "world first", adding that scientists involved in designing the fish were using "cutting-edge" methods to detect and reduce water pollution.
"While using shoals of robotic fish for pollution detection in harbours might appear like something straight out of science fiction, there are very practical reasons for choosing this form," he said.
"In using robotic fish we are building on a design created by hundreds of millions of years' worth of evolution which is incredibly energy efficient. This efficiency is something we need to ensure that our pollution detection sensors can navigate in the underwater environment for hours on end."
He added: "We will produce a system that allows the fish to search underwater, meaning that we will be able to analyse not only chemicals on the surface of the water (e.g. oil) but also those that are dissolved in the water."
The five fish are being built by Professor Huosheng Hu and his robotics team at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex. He hopes to release them into the water by the end of next year.
The fish, which cost around £20,000 to make and are roughly the size of a seal. They swim around one metre per second.
Prof Hu said: "I am incredibly excited about this project. We are designing these fish very carefully to ensure that they will be able to detect changes in environmental conditions in the port and pick up on early signs of pollution spreading, for example by locating a small leak in a vessel.
"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea, as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located."
