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Robocod: Homeland Security adds underwater drones to their arsenal with robots based on fish

Daniel Miller

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Nov. 30, 2012

Flexible body and fins allow it to dart around the water like a real fish

Meet Robocod, the latest weapon in Homeland Security's increasingly high-tech underwater arsenal, a robotic fish designed to safeguard the coastline of America and bring justice to the deep.

Well almost.

The new robot, named BioSwimmer, is actually based not on a cod but a tuna which is said to have the ideal natural shape for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

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Fishy business: Homeland Security's latest drone - the BioSwimmer - unmanned underwater vehicle is based on a tuna

Fishy business: Homeland Security's latest drone - the BioSwimmer - unmanned underwater vehicle is based on a tuna

Its ultra-flexible body coupled with mechanical fins and tail allow it to dart around the water just like a real fish even in the harshest of environments.

And while it does have a number of security applications, this high maneuverability makes it perfectly suited for accessing hard-to-reach places such as flooded areas of ships, sea chests and parts of oil tankers.

Other potential missions include inspecting and protecting harbors and piers, performing area searches and military applications.

BioSwimmer uses the latest battery technology for long-duration operation and boasts an array of navigation, sensor processing, and communications equipment designed for constricted spaces.

It is being developed by Boston Engineering Corporation's Advanced Systems Group (ASG) basesd in Waltham, Massachusetts.

 
Trials: The BioSwimmer's flexible body and mechanical fins make it extremely maneuverable

Trials: The BioSwimmer's flexible body and mechanical fins make it extremely maneuverable

 

 
The fish-like design makes BioSwimmer perfectly suited for accessing hard-to-reach places such as flooded areas of ships, sea chests and parts of oil tankers

The fish-like design makes BioSwimmer perfectly suited for accessing hard-to-reach places such as flooded areas of ships, sea chests and parts of oil tankers

 

 
BioSwimmer uses the latest battery technology for long-duration operation and boasts an array of navigation, sensor processing, and communications equipment designed for constricted spaces

BioSwimmer uses the latest battery technology for long-duration operation and boasts an array of navigation, sensor processing, and communications equipment designed for constricted spaces

David Taylor, program manager for the project at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told Fox News: 'It's all about distilling the science. It's called 'biomimetics.

'We're using nature as a basis for design and engineering a system that works exceedingly well.

'Tuna have had millions of years to develop their ability to move in the water with astounding efficiency. Hopefully we won't take that long.'

BioSwimmer is also capable of operating in high viscocity fluids such as crude oil, which could make it a valuable tool for off-shore drilling operations.

It can be controlled by an operator using a laptop computer but is also being designed to function autonomously.

AGS Director Mike Rufo added: 'It's designed to support a variety of tactical missions and with its interchangeable sensor payloads and reconfigurable Operator Controls, and can be optimized on a per-mission basis.'

NATURALLY BRILLIANT: THE REAL-LIFE ROBOTS INSPIRED BY ANIMALS

The Festo SmartBird

Reaching for the sky: The Festo SmartBird

BioSwimmer is far from the first robot to be inspired by the natural world.

Over the years designers have attempted to replicate everything from the slithering of a snake to the bounding of a cheetah, in their quest for mechanical perfection.

One of the most tricky traits to mimic is flight, but the SmartBird, which was inspired by the herring seagull and created by scientists at technology firm Festo, has been deemed so realistic it could be mistaken for the real thing.

Its revolutionary design allows it to start, fly and land autonomously. It can be controlled by a radio handset but will also simply glide through the skies if left to its own devices.

One recent creation with obvious military potential is the Boston Dynamics LS3 AlphaDog, a four-legged, autonomous robot that can follow a soldier like a cross between a faithful hound and a pack mule.

This incredible machine can stand upright, walk for 20 miles without a break and carry up to 400 pounds.

 
Walkies: Boston Dynamics LS3 AlphaDog, a four-legged, autonomous robot that can follow a soldier carrying 400 pounds of supplies

Walkies: Boston Dynamics LS3 AlphaDog, a four-legged, autonomous robot that can carry 400 pounds of supplies

Another impressive design from the Boston Dynamics stable is a robot cheetah which, funded by the US Military, has set a new speed record for legged robots by sprinting at 28.3 mph - faster than Olympic sprint champ Usain Bolt.

Engineers at Boeing aviation this year demonstrated new technology that enables aerial military drones to function like a 'swarm of insects' where they can communicate and carry out tasks in mid-air.

The drone development could lead to lower costs and less risk in military welfare, Boeing said in a statement.

OCRobotics a company based in Bristol, UK, have successfully created a robot arm that moves like a snake, capable of wriggling its way into hard to reach or hazardous places such as nuclear reactors where they can carry out delicate tasks.

 
Slithery: The Snake arm developed by OCRobotics, designed to wriggle into hazardous places such as the inside of a nuclear reactor

Slithery: The Snake arm developed by OCRobotics, designed to wriggle into hazardous places such as the inside of a nuclear reactor

The arm, which is self-supporting, is controlled by steel wires that run through movable links, while various tools can be fitted to the end such as cameras, lights, cutting equipment or swabs.

The robot has already been used to carry out vital repair work at a nuclear facility in Sweden and a safety inspection at a plant in Canada.

Insectoid: Harvard University's robot fly

Insectoid: Harvard University's robot fly

Meanwhile researchers at Harvard University are perfecting their incredible robot fly which weighs just 60 milligrams and has a wingspan of three centimeters.

This tiny robot's movements are modeled on those of a real fly. While much work remains to be done on the mechanical insect, the researchers say that such small flying machines could one day be used as spies, or for detecting harmful chemicals.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding the research in the hope that it will lead to stealth surveillance robots for the battlefield and urban environments.

Recreating a fly's efficient movements in a robot roughly the size of the real insect was difficult, however, because existing manufacturing processes couldn't be used to make the sturdy, lightweight parts required.

The motors, bearings, and joints typically used for large-scale robots wouldn't work for something the size of a fly.

At the other end of the scale is the Kabutom RX-03 - a large beetle shaped robot designed in Japan.

The hulking Kabutom measures 11-metres in length and weighs a hefty 17-tonnes. It can walk with its six legs and is powered by diesel engines and blow smoke from its nose.