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Image of the Day: Imitation Fish

Scientists create a soft-bodied robotic fish that pumps synthetic blood and swims on its own.

Written byChia-Yi Hou

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robotic fish artificial synthetic blood battery operated soft body mechanical animal

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ABOVE: The soft-bodied robotic fish
JAMES PIKUL

A soft-bodied robotic fish runs on a synthetic circulatory system that pumps a liquid with electrolytes through the body, the developers described in Nature yesterday (June 19). The robot swam against a current and moved its pectoral fins. The circulatory system and electrolyte liquidfuels a battery that allows the robot to operate for up to 36 hours.

C.A. Aubin et al., “Electrolytic vascular systems for energy-dense robots,” Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1313-1, 2019.

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