Nissan Develops Robotic-Fish
Nissan has developed robots that mimic the behavior of fish, which the car firm says can be used in crash avoidance systems.
The tiny robots, called Eporo, can move in a fleet without bumping into their traveling companions.
This is the second time the Japanese automaker has looked to the animal kingdom for ideas for its designs.
Nissan unveiled its BR23C robot last year that was modeled on the behavior of bumblebees.
The bee displays anti-collision behavior, like the robotic fish, but tends to fly solo.
The new robot, which will be displayed at Japanese design fair Ceatec on October 6, is designed to travel in a group of up to seven vehicles.
Each of the robots uses a laser range finder to measure the distance between obstacles.
The data is shared between the group via radio, allowing the robots to travel as a "shoal" without bumping into each other.
This technique would allow cars to travel side-by-side, or quickly switch direction as a group.
"We, in a motorized world, have a lot to learn from the behavior of a school of fish in terms of each fish’s degree of freedom and safety," said Toshiyuki Andou, principal engineer of the project.
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