RoboFish. (Image by Polytechnic Institute of New York University.)

Live Science has an article about Rome-born NYU professor, Dr. Maurizio Porfiri, who has created robot fish that can lead schools of real fish away from natural and man-made disasters. The real ones respond well to their bot brothers because the fake fish have a remarkable capacity to mirror movements seen in nature. An excerpt:

“Porfiri posited that if he could enforce leadership by an external member—in this case, a robot that actively engages the group—he could influence the direction and behavior of schooling fish. This could prove a life-saving advantage for marine populations in the event of oil or chemical spills or other natural disasters. Porfiri also envisions the ability to lead fish away from man-made dangers like turbines.”

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No video footage yet of Dr. Porfiri’s fish in action, but scientists at Essex University are also working on robot fish: