I’ve never excelled at swimming; despite regular school pool trips, I consistently struggled to leave the shallow end. While my peers glided effortlessly, I flailed about like an uncoordinated octopus.

Now, it seems that smarter minds than mine have taken this struggle and built a ‘soft’ robot capable of swimming using flexible limbs.

The ZodiAq is an innovative underwater drone that surpasses basic water navigation, featuring 12 soft-body, flagella-like limbs that allow it to swim gracefully and traverse the seafloor while minimizing disturbance to marine life. This unique locomotion method showcases a natural approach to underwater movement.

Equipped with a ballast that adjusts its center of gravity, and each limb powered by individual motors controlled by a Raspberry Pi system, the drone can navigate seamlessly in its aquatic environment. Additionally, it comes with onboard sensors and cameras, ensuring it avoids obstacles while capturing data.

For those who might feel uneasy with this drone’s appearance, fear not. It covers ‘a distance of two body lengths every 15 seconds,’ making you more likely to outswim it rather than the other way around.

The ZodiAq is designed to swim using only a select number of limbs at any given time, which not only provides redundancy in case of motor failure but also allows for a wider array of movement patterns.

As this project progresses, it’s evident that the team draws inspiration from nature, paving the way for future innovations in robotics.