MIT's Robot Fish Can Blend in and Spy on Real Sea Creatures

Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have built a fish robot that can swim in the open water alongside the very animals it is researching.

Robotic fish have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. They are now "secret agents" that can infiltrate schools of fish in controlled scenarios. The new CSAIL robofish called "SoFi" appears to set a new standard in its ability to blend into open water.

“To our knowledge, this is the first robotic fish that can swim untethered in three dimensions for extended periods of time,” says CSAIL PhD candidate Robert Katzschmann, lead author of the new journal article published today in Science Robotics, in a press statement. “We are excited about the possibility of being able to use a system like this to get closer to marine life than humans can get on their own.”

SoFi can handle going 50 feet deep into open water for up to 40 minutes. It's strong enough to push back against currents, and it takes high-resolution photos. Using a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller, the SoFi can swim in a straight line, turn, and dive up or down.