Faculty members at Firat University have produced an "Intelligent Robot Fish" (i-ROF). Created using a 3D printer and modeled after a real fish's nervous system and a tuna, this 3D-printed robotic fish can be used for exploration, observation, research, and military purposes.
Equipped with sensors that allow it to navigate around obstacles like a real fish, the intelligent robot fish can also transmit information such as speed, acceleration, position, depth, and temperature.
Assistant Professor Dr. Gonca Özmen Koca, a faculty member of the Mechatronics Engineering Department at the Faculty of Technology, stated that they developed the intelligent robot fish within the scope of a TUBITAK project, saying, "In this study, our aim was to create a design with 3D movement capabilities, completely modeling a real fish, and to realize this as a prototype. We created the prototype using a 3D printer.".
"Our prototype consists of a main body, two tails, and a flexible tail. This fish currently has 3D movement capabilities. We can obtain information such as speed, acceleration, and position through sensors. We used three distance sensors. With these, it can move while avoiding obstacles. There is also a depth sensor and a temperature sensor. The necessary infrastructure for other sensors is also in place. These will be shaped according to the studies or the expectations of the other party. The swimming modes of the fish are determined by a higher intelligence. Then, artificial neural network modeling with a real brainstem that models the tail movement of a real fish was used. In this way, the rhythmic movements of the tail were integrated into the robot fish in a way that is appropriate for a real fish," he said.
