Scientists develop robot to catch goldfish
A camera on the robot keeps track of the moving goldfish.
Researchers in Japan have developed a robot capable of catching moving goldfish.According to a report from New Scientist, robotics experts at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) have developed a robot called "Poipoi" which is being put to the test in an annual goldfish catching competition.
"The city is famous for its goldfish-scooping contest", NAIST researcher Masatugu Kidode told New Scientist.
The competition, designed for children, takes place in Yamatokoriyama next week.
The chances of Poipoi beating a human seem slim, as the best netspeople can scoop up to 60 goldfish in three minute, while the robot can catch just 10.
New Scientist says that the robot is essentially a mechanical arm with an overhead camera, which is all rigged up to a computer which tracks the fish in the pool below.
The computer predicts where and when the arm should swoop in order to catch the goldfish.
To see the video click visit the NHK website. (Requires RealPlayer).
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Matt Clarke: Fri August 12, 2005, 2:01 pmMatt Clarke: 12.8.2005
More: New Scientist
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 | Editor-in-Chief, Matt Clarke, writes the regular Interesting Imports column on rare and unusual fish in the UK aquarium trade. He's kept fish for 30 years and holds a degree, two higher degrees and two diplomas in fish biology, taxonomy and computational biology. |
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