Robotic Fish to Fight Pollution

The fish can work together to find pollutants

Robotic fish that can work together to detect and identify pollution in ports and other aquatic areas have been developed by scientists.

The fish are the work of Shoal, a pan-European ICT project made up of six organisations and partly funded by the European Union.

Luke Speller, project leader and a senior research scientist at the London-based BMT Group, said: "The fish can identify the source of pollution enabling prompt and more effective remedial action."

The yellow-coloured robotic fish are 1.5 metres (five feet) long and are driven by a dual-hinged tail that enables them to make tight turns.

They are battery powered and can run for up to eight hours before they need to be recharged.

Each one has a range of sensors and programming that allows it to navigate and gather information which it can share with other fish and relay back to researchers.

Mr Speller said: "Chemical sensors fitted to the fish permit real-time in-situ analysis, rather than the current method of sample collection and dispatch to a shore based laboratory.

"Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence which has been introduced means that the fish can identify the source of pollution enabling prompt and more effective remedial action."

Working in a group, the fish can cover up to one square kilometre of water up to a depth of 30 metres.

Importantly, says Shoal, they are able to blend into the undersea environment without disrupting any of the marine life there.

Mr Speller said: "Shoal has seen the coming together of scientists from across Europe to create a system that could not have been achieved without collaboration between different disciplines.

"One of the greatest achievements of Shoal is getting robots running outside the lab and in the harsh, dynamic conditions of the sea.

"Autonomously exploring and investigating the harbour, the fish can work together to monitor and track down sources of pollution."

Source: Sky News