A team of engineers has been able to design and manufacture a robot dolphin capable of moving and even behaving like a real animal.
Although we have seen robots of a multitude of sizes and functionalities, now a North American company has surprised by presenting a robot dolphin that can be controlled by remote control and that would replace the dolphins that are currently in captivity in thousands of zoos around the world.
The engineering company Edge Innovations has been able to design and build a robot dolphin that is practically traced to the real ones and that also has a very natural behavior. The objective of this invention is that this type of robot animals can replace those that are currently in captivity in thousands of zoos around the world so that real animals can be free in the oceans without being captured by man for entertainment purposes.
Edge Innovations founder and CEO Walt Conti told that there are ” 3,000 dolphins currently in captivity that are used to create several billion dollars for dolphin experiences alone .”
The dolphin is created from medical grade silicone, measures 2.59 m and weighs almost 250 kilos . Thanks to these dimensions and its material, it is practically traced to real dolphins.
The company is not new to creating these types of robot animals, since they have already participated with products in Hollywood blockbusters such as Saving Willy or Deep Blue Sea.
Version 2.0 of this robot dolphin, which is the one that appears in the video embedded in the news item, “ has enough artificial intelligence to be able to make a shallow dive, stay properly afloat, return to the surface, lift its blowhole to simulate the breathing and also being able to complete turns realistically, ”its creators told Syfy Wire magazine earlier this year.
Right now Edge Innovations is working on a version 3.0 of this robot dolphin, which will differ from the current one in that it will have enough battery power to swim for 10 hours .
