A researcher has developed the first robo-fish Wanda that moves like its natural counterparts and navigates underwater, conducting inspections within confined spaces.
Researcher Scott McGovern of the University of Wollongong created Wanda (wireless aquatic navigator for detection and analysis) seeking out targeted objects. It propels itself forward by an active flexible joint tail fin activated through polymer artificial muscles.
The biggest advantage of this material is the ease with which it mimics the tail fin motion of a fish, said McGovern.
The person controlling Wanda can change the direction and speed at which the fish swims. It has a small camera that wirelessly sends real-time video to a computer, and video-imaging software is used to analyse the image for object recognition and detection, initially based on specifications such as colour.
Wanda has been designed to swim and search for a pre-defined colour, which can be also directed towards the targeted object, or detect water quality and pollution levels in catchment areas and dams. Read Full Article
