Meet SoFi, short for Soft Robotic Fish, an underwater innovation developed by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. At 18 inches long, this soft robot is constructed of silicon in order to be highly flexible and similar to the organic life it’s meant to study.
Designed to swim like a real fish, SoFi can plunge up to 60 feet below the surface and last up to 45 minutes before needing to recharge batteries. To move as naturally as possible, SoFi undulates its tail and pushes water through its body with a hydraulic pump. That natural movement is a key to SoFi’s success.
Previous versions of remote controlled underwater explorers would scare the sea creatures they were intended to observe, but SoFi is designed to blend in. The sleek shape and undulating motion seem to fool the fish, which have been observed swimming alongside SoFi as if they accept her as one of their own. The hope is that sea creatures will not be startled away from the robotic fish, but will continue their natural movements and activities. This way, researchers can closely observe the typical behavior of the animals in their habitats.
In addition to SoFi’s shape and movement, its communicate system is also crucial to its innovation. Rather than using a cable that connects to a surface unit, SoFi communicates by acoustics. Researchers and SoFi send messages via high-pitched tones that translate to information about speed and direction. These sound waves move through the water and are not expected to disturb the ocean life, though researchers admit it’s possible that porpoises and whales may be able to hear the tones.
MIT researchers conducted SoFi’s first test swim on Fiji’s Rainbow Reef. The robotic fish swam for 45 minutes along the coral reef, blending in with sea creatures and capturing high-resolution images and video. The footage will give researchers detailed information on ocean life and ecosystems.
