Rome, Apr 12 (IANS): The world's first robotic fish has successfully debuted among real fish, paving the way for better understanding of animal behaviour, an expert said.
The robot, capable of imitating real fish, has been accepted into a school of fish and even became their leader, Stefano Marras, a researcher with Italy's National Research Council (CNR) who carried out the test, said.
The robotic fish is jointly developed by CNR and the New York University, Xinhua reported, Wednesday.
Researchers found that fish were more attracted towards the robot when its tail was beating rather than when it was statically immersed in the water.
The experiment may enable a better understanding of fish' collective behaviour and open new horizons in the methodologies for their conservation, experts said.
For example, a robotic fish could be used for guiding fish away from areas contaminated by oil spills.