Project "Silent
Nemo" Robofish
US Navy reveals its latest recruit: 'Silent Nemo'
robofish can swim into enemy territory undetected - and is designed to look
exactly like a tuna
· Designed to swim into enemy territory, and to
guard the hulls of US boats
· Uses a robo-fin to move silently through
enemy water undetected
· Can be controlled with a joystick or be
programmed to swim on its own
The US Navy has revealed its latest recruit - a
giant robotic spy disguised as a tuna.
The robo-fish is designed to swim into enemy
territory, and to guard the hulls of US boats.
It uses a robo-fin to move silently through the
water - and had been dubbed 'Silent Nemo' by Navy bosses.
The robo-fish device is designed to look like a
tuna in the water .It swims just like a fish does by oscillating its robotic
tail fin back and forth.
The unmanned underwater vehicle is able to make
tight turns and move through the water quietly, making it ideal for
surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
'The unit is a combination of unmanned systems
engineering and unique propulsion and control capabilities.'
Its bio-mimicry provides additional security
during low visibility intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
missions and friendly hull inspections, while quieter than propeller driven
craft of the same size, according to Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC).
The robot is capable of operating autonomously for extended periods of time due
to its long-lasting battery, but it can also be controlled via laptop with a 500-foot
tether.
A Ghost Swimmer, a biomimetic device modeled
after the blue fin tuna, rest on a dock at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little
Creek-Fort Story.
The tether is long enough to transmit
information while inspecting a ship's hull, for example, but if operating
independently (without a tether) the robot will have to periodically be brought
to the surface to download its data.
Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLRd-iy7STA