Issue 14.02 - February 2006
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A New Line of Swimware 

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They don't get tired. They don't hide in the seaweed. And their feeding costs show up on the electric bill. The London Aquarium's new attraction, a tank of three robotic carp, exists more for its own tech aesthetic than for explaining marine biology. But with five motors and skin of resin, plastic, and metal, each piscinoid moves with the fluidity and autonomy of a real fish. Although the koi need to be recharged every four hours, their inventor - University of Essex roboticist Huosheng Hu - plans subsequent models that'll swim to their chargers. He's looking to add 17 more bots, including species never seen in captivity. Can we request a giant mechanical squid? - Erin Biba

Fish by the Numbers

A carp's average speed: 3.7 mph
A robocarp's average speed: 0.7 mph
Average cost of a carp: $250
Average cost of a robocarp: $8,900
Visitors per day to the London Aquarium: 2,700
