Meet Robocod, DARPA's killer tuna drone!
Robocod: Homeland Security adds underwater drones to their arsenal with robots based on 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).
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
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