The Department of Homeland Security is sparing no expense in protecting America from terrorists.
There could be an invasion from off the coats. No more planes flown into buildings. But what about terrorist fishing boats? What might they ram? No one really knows. But it’s always a possibility.
So, there is a need for an early warning system. What could be more effective than a school of robot tunas? They would be unobtrusive.
Think of it. Some terrorist from (say) Saudi Arabia has hijacked a catamaran. He is looking into the water. He sees this.
He does not notice that it looks . . . I cannot resist . . . a little fishy. He has never been on a boat before. So he heads to his destination, not knowing that his every move is being tracked.
The “BIOSwimmer” robot features faithfully replicated fins and a flexible tail to pull off quick maneuvers like the real-life fish. Homeland Security made the choice to fund the robot made by the Boston Engineering Corporation in Waltham, Mass., with an eye toward missions such as exploring the flooded areas of ships, inspecting oil tankers or patrolling U.S. harbors to watch out for suspicious activity.
“It’s called ‘biomimetics,’” said David Taylor, program manager for the BIOSwimmer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “We’re using nature as a basis for design and engineering a system that works exceedingly well.”
The fake tuna will be able to squeeze into tight spaces.
It will be able to police harbors.
It will be able to be controlled by a laptop.
Soon, there will be an Apple App. (I am not sure how soon.)
This gives you some idea of how safe Americans are, or will be, one of these days.
No fake tunas need apply.
My money's on that multi-million DHS dollar grant to build "robot killer hummingbirds". Mother Nature should be able to deal with those: hawks, falcons, other birds of prey
Oddly enough I see a practical use for this sleek hydrodynamic mechanical fish. Tuna are built for speed and agility. If the tail is actuated like a real fish for propulsion, it MAY be almost undetectable since it would not have a propeller. This fish could be used for submarine detection in our coastal harbors and waterways. Or drug interdiction. Very stealthy.
Usually, I would be very upset about stuff like this. What would happen if you were scuba diving and got torpedoed by one of these things? Ouch.
if this technology is real and of importance…WHY is it being reported in public? Our enemies can actually read!
This follows the development of a "Jelleyfish-Inspired Robot Powered by Hydrogen and Oxygen'. This device is self-powered and could be used in ocean surveilllance and rescue missions (really?). It was created by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas and Virgina Tech (Blacksburg, VA) with funding by the office of Naval Research. It is interesting that it employs acombination of nickel-titanium alloy, carbon nanatubes and platinum that extracts the hydrogen and oxygen from the water. Am I alone in thinking that being rescued by a robotic jellyfish may not be viewed as a rexcue at all?