'SoFi', the robo-FISH that can swim alongside marine life 50 feet below the surface

One of the hardest engineering hurdles for the research team was getting SoFi to be able to swim at different depths, the new report said. The robot can operate more than 50 feet below the surface of the water.

A robotic fish might be able to unlock secrets about marine life that is hard for researchers to access, according to a new report.

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a robotic fish called SoFi that was tested in Fiji.

SoFi was able to swim more than 50 feet below the surface of the water and for 40 minutes nonstop. 

The researchers behind the new study, published in Science Robotics, say robotic fish technology could help scientists learn more about organisms that are hard for humans to get to to study.

MIT researchers developed a robotic fish that can swim alongside real fish and take photographs of marine life that is hard for humans to access. A new report on the technology was published in Science Robotics

SoFi, which was tested by Fiji's Rainbow Reef, can handle oncoming currents and take high-resolution photos while swimming, for which it employs a fisheye lens.

The study said: 'Using its undulating tail and a unique ability to control its own buoyancy, SoFi can swim in a straight line, turn or dive up or down.

'The team also used a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller and developed a custom acoustic communications system that enabled them to change SoFi's speed and have it make specific moves and turns.'

The soft robot can swim right next to real fish, which is beneficial for researchers, the report said.

MIT scientist Robert Katzschmann said: 'To our knowledge this is the first robotic fish that can swim untethered in three dimensions for extended periods of time.

'We are excited about the possibility of being able to use a system like this to get closer to marine life than humans can get on their own.'

The robot's alternating movements produce side-to-side actions that mimic real those of real fish.

'By changing its flow patterns, the hydraulic system enables different tail maneuvers that result in a range of swimming speeds, with an average of about half a body length per second,' the study said.

The back half of the robot is comprised of flexible plastic and silicone rubber, and many of SoFi's components were 3D printed. Among these parts was the head, which encases all of the fish's electronics.

The robot, named SoFi, can be controlled by a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller. SoFi can swim in multiple directions 

The electronics used in the robot are all located in SoFi's head. The team responsible for the new technology filled SoFi's head with baby oil to lessen the chances of a water leak damaging the electronics there

The researchers filled SoFi's head with baby oil to lessen the chances of water damaging the machinery.

They chose baby oil 'since it's a fluid that will not compress from pressure changes during dives,' the study explained.

Biorobotics Professor Cecilia Laschi said: 'The authors show a number of technical achievements in fabrications, powering and water resistance that allow the robot to move underwater without a tether.

'A robot like this can help explore the reef more closely than current robots, both because it can get closer more safely for the reef and because it can be better accepted by the marine species.'

One of the hardest engineering hurdles for the research team was getting SoFi to be able to swim at different depths, the new report said. The robot can operate more than 50 feet below the surface of the water

HOW DOES SOFI THE ROBOTIC FISH WORK?

MIT researchers have created a robotic fish that can swim alongside real fish underwater.

The fish, named SoFi, can take images of marine life and has the potential to teach humans about aquatic spaces that are hard for them to access.

One of the unique aspects of SoFi is the fact that it is not tethered to anything.

A report on the new technology said: 'Existing autonomous underwater vehicles have traditionally been tethered to boats or powered by bulky and expensive propellers.

Researchers from MIT have developed a robotic fish that can swim alongside real fish underwater. Pictured are all the parts in the robot, which was named SoFi

'In contrast, SoFi has a much simpler and more lightweight setup, with a single camera, a motor and the same lithium polymer battery that's found in consumer smartphones.'

When the robot is swimming, a motor is pumping water into a pair of balloon-like chambers located in the fish's tail.

These chambers operate similarly to sets of pistons in engines.

'As one chamber expands, it bends and flexes to one side; when the actuators push water to the other channel, that one bends and flexes in the other direction,' the report said.

According to the report one of the most challenging hurdles the researchers faced was getting SoFi to move at different depths.

SoFi has two fins in place to adjust the fish's pitch for diving up and down.

'To adjust its position vertically, the robot has an adjustable weight compartment and a "buoyancy control unit" that can change its density by compressing and decompressing air,' the report explained.

SoFi was created with the goal of making the fish as minimally disruptive as possible, and the researchers worked to make its motor as quiet as it could be.

MIT Professor Daniela Rus said: 'The robot is capable of close observations and interactions with marine life and appears to not be disturbing the real fish.

'Collision avoidance often leads to inefficient motion, since the robot has to settle for a collision-free trajectory. A soft robot is not just more likely to survive a collision, but could use it as information to inform a more efficient motion plan next time around.'

The researchers will now work to improve SoFi, specifically looking at how they can help the robot swim quicker and improve its tail and body designs.

Professor Rus said: 'We view SoFi sas a first step toward developing almost an underwater observatory of sorts. It has the potential to be a new type of tool for ocean exploration and to open up new avenues for uncovering the mysteries of marine life.'  dailymail.co.uk