this is a soft robotic fish that simulates the appearance of manta rays swimming underwater.

the following is what it looks like from the side:

if you look down from the top, it looks like this:

this soft robotic fish body is made of silicone. Its body is generally transparent (the green in the picture above is dyed separately for clarity), so it is inconspicuous when underwater.

A structure map:

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this little guy is what researchers hope to use for underwater research, such as to investigate coral reefs or the wreckage of a plane crash. It can hide itself well under water, just like a little "spy". In this way, compared with the large, conspicuous detection equipment, it can also disturb the marine life less and make it easier to see their natural appearance.

this "little fish" can carry a camera. It weighs 90 grams and has a wingspan of 22 centimeters. It is the fastest known flexible robot: it can reach a speed of 6. 4 cm/s. However, compared with a real fish of the same size, it is still much slower than a real fish of the same size. It is battery-powered and can work for three hours on a single charge.

this is a research result recently published in Science Advances, from Zhejiang University.

Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2126924-squishy-robotic-manta-ray-flaps-its-wings-to-spy-in-the-ocean/

related papers: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/4/e1602045

feels that flexible machines are still a hot research field in recent years. Compared with traditional hard machines, flexible parts have their own advantages, such as adapting to narrow and complex terrain. For example, hydrogels are easier to hide underwater.

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Motion Picture appreciation: robot fishing