I’m firmly in the “robots are cute” crowd. That being said, the movement patterns of these robotic jellyfish are so similar to the real thing, I’m getting a bit spooked out. But whether I’m spooked or not, if they’re mimicking jellyfish that well, then they’re already doing half their job.
Dr. Erik Engeberg of Florida Atlantic University developed these little dudes to serve as “guardians of the ocean.” The robot jellyfish were created to serve as an unobtrusive camera in endangered coral reefs in order to monitor and, ideally, repair them. Their bodies are 3D printed from a soft, rubbery material, so even if they bump into a reef, neither it nor the reef will be damaged.
The material also works in tandem with an internal pumping system, passively drawing in and expelling water, allowing the robot to almost seamlessly mimic a jellyfish’s many swimming patterns and fit through tight gaps. Future iterations of these robots will feature environmental sensors that can help determine where it is and isn’t safe to swim.
