Xiaobo Tan, an associate professor at Michigan State University (MSU), developed a robotic fish few years ago. Recently Xiaobo Tan and his team have made a number of improvements on the robofish and named it Grace. It has now the ability to glide long distances through water using little to no energy. Recently, the robotic fish has been spotted in the Kalamazoo River in the state of Michigan monitoring pollutants.
“Swimming requires constant flapping of the tail,” Tan said, “which means the battery is constantly being discharged and typically wouldn’t last more than a few hours.” “This is why we integrated both locomotion modes – gliding and swimming – in our robot,” Tan said. “Such integration also allows the robot to adapt to different environments, from shallow streams to deep lakes, from calm ponds to rivers, with rapid currents.”
The robofish Grace is now equipped with an array of sensors that allow it to travel autonomously and measure water temperature, quality and other pertinent facts. A steady stream of sensor readings can be sent to researchers over a wireless connection. Grace, the robofish, can gather valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers. This robotic fish has the ability to help protect and monitor aquatic environments in the future.
Xiaobo Tan and his team mates have now made a number of improvements on the robotic fish to improve its ability. As a result the robofish Grace has the ability to glide long distances through water using very low energy. Grace's ability to glide is controlled by a newly installed battery-powered pump that forces water into and out of its body. The sliding weight of its battery inside its fuselage changes the robot's center of gravity. As a result the robofish now can dive or surface on command.
“Swimming requires constant flapping of the tail,” Tan said, “which means the battery is constantly being discharged and typically wouldn’t last more than a few hours.” “This is why we integrated both locomotion modes – gliding and swimming – in our robot,” Tan said. “Such integration also allows the robot to adapt to different environments, from shallow streams to deep lakes, from calm ponds to rivers, with rapid currents.”
The robofish Grace is now equipped with an array of sensors that allow it to travel autonomously and measure water temperature, quality and other pertinent facts. A steady stream of sensor readings can be sent to researchers over a wireless connection. Grace, the robofish, can gather valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers. This robotic fish has the ability to help protect and monitor aquatic environments in the future.
