Seawater-driven robot that dives deeply, occurs as a fish that is not

A soft, fish -like robot glides through the depths of the ocean and even fools the most careful marine life. This 32 cm, 670 g robot was developed by Harbin Engineering University in China and uses seawater to move its silicone body, just like a real fish.

The deep sea exploration has always been a fight against pressure, cold and conventional technology. Hundreds of tons of water press down at 4,000 meters below the surface and crush most equipment. Conventional submarines with large engines and rigid frames often struggle under these circumstances and are damaged or failed. Harbin’s team thought of a new approach, a soft and flexible robot powered by its environment.

The movement of the robot is powered by flexible electrodes along the edges of his silicone body that are filled with a special liquid. When an electric current flows through these electrodes, it responds with the ions in the surrounding seawater to produce an electric field. This field ensures that the internal liquid changes, so that the body of the robot is from side on the side, just like a fish that swims. The end result is a machine that can survive under the crushing pressure of the deep sea and constantly balances against external forces. It dived up to 4,071 meters in field tests and laboratory tests proved that it can withstand the pressure up to 10,000 meters, just behind the deepest point of the ocean, the Challenger Deep, which is 10,935 meters.

Marine ecosystems are fragile and heavy and noisy submarines that they have to investigate life. This robot with its subtle fish -like movement fits in with schools of fish without increasing suspicion. It is designed for close-up observation to catch the details of the deep sea that would otherwise go unnoticed. During testing, it navigated stormy streams through complicated courses and endure, which proves that it is more than just an observer and also explore.

The materials behind this are as cool as the robot itself. The team used a liquid dielectric plasticizer – a liquid that keeps the silicone scale of the robot soft and the medium is also for its electro -hydraulic movement. This liquid with double purposes means that the robot remains soft, even under extreme pressure and does not stiffen like other soft materials in harsh conditions. By using seawater as a varied electrode, the design also prevents structure on load, so that the robot can continue to move without losing the efficiency.

Field tests off the Chinese coast showed the robot in action. On 1,360, 3,176 and 4,071 meters it moved easily, sensors collect data and are flexible body that adapt to the pressure. These were not only tests to see if the robot could survive – they had to see it from the real world tasks, from studying biodiversity to mapping unknown ocean floors. The team is already planting tests at even greater depths, to push the robot to the theoretical limit of 10,000 meters and then.

Our vulnerable tools have a limited exploration of deep sea, but a machine that works based on the natural qualities of the ocean opens new possibilities. Scientists can investigate delicate coral reefs, follow deep-sea species and follow sub-sea geological activities with little damage. The robot is so light – only slightly heavier than a bottle of water – that it can be used more easily than a immersion, which makes it possible to reduce the costs and complexity of deep -sea activities.
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