Robot fish work together to detect and analyse pollution

The robotic fish, built at Essex University for an EU ICT project dubbed SHOAL, have been designed to manoeuvre like fish in the natural world and work together to conduct real-time in-situ detection and analysis of pollution, which improves on the current method of sample collection and laboratory tests onshore.

SHOAL is managed by BMT Group and the consultancy’s Luke Speller believes this capability can cut the detection and analysis of pollutants from weeks to seconds.

The battery-operated fish, made with a wet hull design, contains an array of sensors designed to help them perform their mission.

Speller, SHOAL project leader and senior research scientist at BMT Group, told The Engineer that a sonar in the front of the fish aids navigation and obstacle avoidance.

He added that the sensors consist of four main electrodes for testing different pollutants including copper, lead and phenols plus general water quality parameters such as oxygen. Pressure sensors, battery monitors, a temperature sensor, and an AHRS (attitude heading reference system) are also installed.