Tuna robot will help in the creation of high-speed submarines

Robotic fish that can perfectly imitate the movements of yellowfin tuna can help create new underwater vehicles.

Tunabot Robotic Fish was developed by a team of mechanical engineers from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in collaboration with biologists from Harvard University. The goal of the project was not just an ordinary robot - scientists wanted to understand the science of biological swimming. A model was needed that could test hypotheses about what makes floating animals so fast and efficient. Understanding the mechanics of fish movement will help in the development of technology for powerful propulsion systems of underwater vehicles.

To design the fish, a team of specialists began to study the dynamics of swimming yellowfin tuna and mackerel. Using this data, they constructed a robot that not only moved underwater like a fish, but also moved its tail fast enough to develop a speed almost equivalent to live tuna. Tunabot has no eyes or limbs. It is about 25 centimeters in length. The robot uses a green laser to measure the movements of its own tail. So far, researchers are going to focus solely on mechanisms and functions that contribute to increasing productivity, speed and efficiency of fish. In their opinion, this may lead to the development of more powerful and efficient propulsion systems.

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