Take a look at the robot AquaPenguins shown below. These robots were created by Festo as part of their bionic learning project. They navigate independently and can communicate with each other - just like real penguins!
This robot has a body that flexes in a remarkable way; it is much more than just a rigid "submarine" body with flippers attached (compare with the Robot Turtle Madeline, which is still cool, I'm just saying that flexible has its advantages).
Watch this remarkable autonomous underwater vehicle determine its position with 3D sonar. You'll enjoy the Festo robot AquaPenguin video below.
"The bionic penguins can become autonomous underwater vehicles in the water pool and have self-guided navigation. They have a 3D sonar, which, similar to dolphins, is used to communicate with the environment and other robot penguins as possible. For example, in order to avoid collisions.
An absolute novelty in the robot technology is a fuselage that moves in all directions. The hull design of the penguins in the automation can be as flexible tripod arrangement, and so used in handling equipment for factories or other applications.
I love underwater robots; see if you can find a new favorite:
Sawfish Underwater Lumberjack Robot
The Triton Sawfish™ Underwater Harvester is the world's first viable marine technology for logging underwater forests.
Oh, and I almost forgot (thanks Fortigurn!) to mention my favorite underwater fictional robot - the Mitsubishi Robot Turbot from Slow Life by Michael Swanwick.
She set the fish down. "Now I’m turning it on."
The Mitsubishi turbot wriggled, as if alive. With one fluid motion, it surged forward, plunged, and was gone.
Boy Makes Biomimetic Turtle Robot
't came out into plain view. Darkington glimpsed a slim body and six short legs of articulated dull metal.'
Origin F1 Humanoid Robot's Facial Skin
'I could look down at that face of carefully molded synthetic rubber, tinted the exact shade of the doctor's living flesh.' - Rog Philips, 1950.
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Boy Makes Biomimetic Turtle Robot
't came out into plain view. Darkington glimpsed a slim body and six short legs of articulated dull metal.'
Elon Musk Wants Data Centers In Space
'Internally it’s made up of millions of components, but the most important ones are the thinking and memory parts of the Mind proper.'
Origin F1 Humanoid Robot's Facial Skin
'I could look down at that face of carefully molded synthetic rubber, tinted the exact shade of the doctor's living flesh.'