Researchers at the University of Southampton, MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have teamed up to create this weird underwater vehicle that mimics the movements of an octopus to travel very fast underwater.
This 11.8-inch model was created using 3D-printed polycarbonate skeleton featuring a balloon that helps move the vehicle. How it works is simple. An external pump fills the balloon with water and then when the water is released through the pump, the pressure propels the vehicle to move forward.
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It may seem like a totally useless stunt, but the researchers point out that this robotic movement is actually faster than any other underwater vehicle. If properly developed, it could make a big difference in the future of submersible vehicles.
“Man-made underwater vehicle are designed to be as streamlined as possible, but with the exception of torpedoes, which use massive amounts of propellent, none of these vehicles achieve speeds of even a single body length per second,” said Southampton’s Dr. Gabriel Weymouth
Check out the video for a short demonstration.
[Via: Gizmag / University of Southampton]
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