A robot sea bream developed by engineers at the University of Kitakyushu is almost realistic enough to be sushi. The robofish glides through the water like a real fish; see the robot sea bream video below.
(Robot sea bream video)
The device will be used for survey work; it swims autonomously for up to one hour. The hand-painted body scales cover a silicone body.
In his 2002 story Slow Life, science fiction author Michael Swanwick writes about robot fish who help explore distant worlds:
The Mitsubishi turbot wriggled, as if alive. With one fluid motion, it surged forward, plunged, and was gone.
Lizzie switched over to the fishcam.
Black liquid flashed past the turbot’s infrared eyes.
Straight away from the shore it swam, seeing nothing but flecks of paraffin, ice, and other suspended particulates...
(Read more about the Mitsubishi turbofish)
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