Belle Robot:
Researchers in Switzerland recently developed a new, autonomous fish robot named Belle, capable of giving conservationists a clearer picture of the organisms that live under the sea without disturbing the marine environment.
- Belle Robot is an autonomous underwater robot designed to collect DNA samples and film underwater without disrupting the delicate ecosystem it explores.
- Objective is by analysing DNA samples and video footage collected by the robot, researchers aim to better understand the impact of human activities on marine life and develop targeted conservation strategies.
- Belle is silent, moves like a fish and doesn’t create a disruptive wake as she moves through her environment.
- It employs artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomously manoeuvre and capture isolated e-DNA samples, as well as high-resolution video footage.
- Measuring just under a metre and weighing almost 10 kg out of the water, Belle is propelled by a silicone fin with two cavities into which water is pumped in cycles.
- These cavities are filled and emptied with water through a pump system that moves the fin back and forth.
- Its soft tail mimics the rising and falling motion of a fish, creating no disturbance or turbulence in the water, allowing it to blend effortlessly with other marine creatures.
