I HAVE just acquired my sea legs after a 20 minute cruise across the port of Gijon, Spain, when I spot a blue shipping container on the pier. Standing beside it is Luke Speller, a scientist at the British technology firm BMT, looking across the water. With iPad in hand, he is sending instructions to a robotic fish that has just been deployed from a nearby dinghy.
The fish’s dual-hinge tail thrashes into motion, but then settles down into a surprisingly lifelike rhythm. Mimicking a real fish is key, says Speller, as a propeller-driven robot wouldn’t be able to make the tight turns required to navigate…
