BEIJING, China: China has unveiled an arapaima robot designed for quieter underwater exploration, using a fish-like tail and fins instead of a conventional propeller.
The biomimetic device was displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services, or CIFTIS, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Its propulsion system allows it to imitate the swimming motion of a real fish.
The robot can be equipped with cameras and sensors for inspecting bodies of water and underwater infrastructure.
Its design follows a broader engineering approach known as biomimetic propulsion. Such systems reproduce aspects of fish movement to improve manoeuvrability while reducing the disturbance created by rotating propellers.
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Researchers have studied fish-inspired underwater robots for environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection and observation of aquatic ecosystems.
These machines can generate thrust through oscillating tails or fins rather than relying entirely on conventional propellers.
The arapaima-shaped model shown at CIFTIS demonstrates how bio-inspired designs are being adapted for practical underwater inspection and surveillance tasks.
