14 DAY TRIAL // Humans are inventive creatures, but many of our inventions ultimately stem from our observation of the environment and other beings living in it. The Sepios robot is the latest example of this.
Sepios is the brainchild of a group of students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Switzerland.
Based vaguely on the anatomy of cuttlefish, it is capable, or will be capable upon completion, of going underwater and filming marine life up close.
In fact, the way it moves and its overall shape is meant to allow it to close in on fish without spooking them.
We suppose that the animals living in the deep sea don't exactly see the way we do. Otherwise they'd probably be somewhere between baffled and terrified at the sight of the thing. Sepios does look very obviously electromechanical after all.
The Sepios robot
Sepios has four fins which allow it to rotate on its axis and move in any direction. It does this by allowing a user control over each of the fins independently.
Omnidirectionality is achieved this way: each fin has nine rays actuated individually by servo motors via beveled gears.
Each ray has a range of 270 degrees and, together, they allow a fin to generate thrusts in both straight lines and angles. This way, the Sepios can swim forward relatively normally, or perform tricks like barrel rolls.
The servos are also controlled in groups by a servo controller (one for each fin), while all four fins are attached to a single central base unit containing a second actuator, a swim bladder which allows Sepios to maintain depth.
Tests and refinements
So far, the Sepios has been tested in France and proved successful in the sea, where it dove through sea grass and attracted fish. Apparently, the fins are so good looking that the small creatures didn't give the blocky body a second thought.
The low turbulence it generates is also a great advantage, as opposed to robots propelled by, well, propellers.
Altogether, the Sepios measures 70 cm / 27.55 inches in length, 95 cm / 37 inches in wing span, and 22.7 kilos / 50 pounds in weight. The robot can swim at 1.8 kph and go as deep as 10 meters underwater for one hour and a half.
