Sepios the robot cuttlefish takes to the sea

ZURICH: Sepios is no ordinary cuttlefish ..... is a submarine robot made by undergraduate students at the ETH Zurich university in Switzerland.

Co-designer Martin Möller says could help marine biologists observe marine life, without creating turbulence or disrupt the ocean.

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Möller says a key feature is its ability to swim in any direction. "Actually we set ourselves the goal to build omnidirectional, we demonstrated to be able to move forward and backward drift anywhere, and turn around any axis by performing the related movements."

The team of nine students were divided into groups to collect pieces Sepios 4600, like its mechanical swim bladder that adjusts buoyancy. Inside is a video camera live score and various sensors.

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Of laser distance measurement hardware helps avoid collisions, while an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer allow control of altitude.

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Co-designer Alessandro Schäppi says "we base unit in between, we have the four cases of external fins with all our servos inside, we buoyancy made of carbon fiber shell, we have our rays, and we latex sheet to propulsion in the water. "

Sepios is controlled by a mouse signal Connexion 3D space data combined with an inertial measurement unit on board.

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Fins flexible latex Sepios are immune to prairie grasses and coral - so it is very suitable for observing marine life. It only reaches four meters per second, but his agility tests the French coast up for his lack of speed.

And with its impeccable environmental credentials, this agile aquatic Android could become a regular visitor to the ocean. - Reuters