Robot sea bream

Saturday, July 26th, 2008...5:18 pm

Though the guy holding the fish looks like a chef getting ready to make the customer’s order, it’s actually a real fish like robot.

Engineers at the University of Kitakyushu University has developed this underwater survey robot that looks good enough to fry. “Tai-robot-kun,” a 7-kilogram (15.4 lb) robotic sea bream (red snapper) with a silicone body covered in realistically hand-painted scales, features a unique propulsion system that allows it to move its tail and drift silently through the water like a real fish. Video after the break.

The robotic fish can swim for an hour on a full battery charge, and it relies on a ballast system similar to those used in submarines to adjust its buoyancy and depth.