Michigan State working to build better robo fish
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University is using a $1 million federal grant to build a better robofish that can observe the feeding and migration habits of trout, walleye, sturgeon and other Great Lakes aquatic species.
The university said the robots will advance the technology from earlier versions, including monitors that can track fish equipped with acoustical transmitters.
The East Lansing school said the robot is called Grace, for Gliding Robot Ace. Michigan State is collaborating with the U.S. Geological Survey, with National Science Foundation financing.
Earlier versions of the robot measured water quality and temperature in lakes and rivers. The university said the new version has greater mobility and energy efficiency and will cost far less than the $300,000 each of the previous model.
Using a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the MSU team will collaborate with the U.S. Geological Survey to use a school of these robots to locate and “stalk” fish of interest in the Great Lakes.
The ultimate goal is to track the movements of the fish, including lake trout, walleye and lake sturgeon, to identify important habitats, understand why they move from one place to another, and how they are being affected by invasive species such as sea lampreys.