Japanese engineers at Nissan Motor Co. have been studying fish and their ability to swim collision-free in large groups, and are trying to apply their discoveries to future vehicles.
So far, these engineers have successfully created robots that can travel in a group of up to seven, avoiding each other and obstacles simultaneously. It is their hope that this technology will one day help reduce accidents on the roads.
Implications - The robots are actually quite cute and are even featured in different colors. They sort of look like blobby ghosts. The fish-mimicking robots were tested on a track where anxious onlookers hoped to see the basis of future safety. For now, people will just have to practice their safe driving skills.
Cars as Schools of Fish
Nissan Explores How Cars That Mimic Fish Can Help Avoid Collisions
Trend Themes
1. Swarm Robotics - Developing robots that can travel in groups, avoiding collisions and obstacles simultaneously, inspired by the behavior of fish.
2. Bio-inspired Design - Exploring how natural phenomena, such as fish swimming in large groups collision-free, can be applied to innovative vehicle technologies.
3. Collision Avoidance Systems - Creating advanced technology that helps reduce accidents on the roads by mimicking the collision-free behavior of fish in groups.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive - Incorporating fish-inspired collision avoidance systems into vehicles to enhance safety and reduce accidents.
2. Robotics - Exploring swarm robotics inspired by the behavior of fish to create robots that can move as a collective, avoiding collisions and obstacles.
3. Transportation - Applying bio-inspired design principles, such as fish swimming in large groups collision-free, to improve the safety and efficiency of transportation systems.