Futuristic Unmanned Submarines Could Move Like Stingrays

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The next step in nature-inspired engineering could come in the form of small, stingray-like unmanned submarines.

Researchers at Harvard University and the University at Buffalo have studied how the sea creatures swim and believe their movements could be built into future underwater vehicles to make them more efficient.

The research may be especially applicable to small, driverless submarines that could perform water clean-up or rescue missions, Iman Borazjani, an engineering professor at the University of Buffalo, told Mashable.

"If we can learn from nature, then we can solve similar problems in engineering," Borazjani said. "You're not just going to remake nature, but you want to know what you can learn from nature."

So far, Borazjani said that he and the other researchers aren't quite sure how stingray motion may be applied to unmanned watercraft, but he is intrigued by the vortex the animals create that allows them to move forward.

When a stingray flaps its wing-like fins, it creates a low pressure region in front of itself and a high pressure region near its tail. The combination is a vortex that allows the stingray to push itself in whatever direction it wants, similar to how insects fly. Researchers have already determined stingrays are one of the most energy-efficient swimmers on the planet, and studying their locomotion could help people design submarines that take advantage of the same mechanics.

"Maybe we don't make a machine that moves like a stingray," Borazjani said. "But we kind of make something that generates the same vortex."

Image: Wikimedia Commons