Robot cuttlefish ready for underwater action

Sepios, a four-finned, omnidirectional robot built by students at ETH Zurich, could inspire a new generation of eco-friendly, aquatic androids.

Based loosely on an ocean cuttlefish, its four fins each contain nine rays, all with a 270-degree range of motion.
The device has also been fitted with several controls for distance and altitude and an underwater video camera.

Co-designer Alessandro Schappi explains how the device works underwater.

“We are using this space mouse and to move around in six degrees of freedom in space. So if we want to dive down we need the two fins on the side to flap up and do a standing wave to dive down. So we just press the space mouse down and as you can see we are diving down. To dive up the opposite, just press it up and we are swimming up. If you want to dive to the front, we can push the space mouse to the front and here you see four waves which give a propulsion to the front. To go back exactly the same.”

By generating thrust with the fins, a