At Trend Hunter, we've seen robots that can dance, fight, sing and even ride a bicycle. In fact, we even have a whole category full of innovative new robots. Now, Japan's Kobe University has released three robots that can swim. These fish robots swim just like their real life counterparts.
Implications - Capitalist societies are preoccupied with progress and the future, but it's always in relation to human applications. As such, technologists are constantly trying to incorporate elements of the organic or biological into their devices. Designers need to ensure that their gadgets do not give off a sterile impression or consumers will have a much more difficult time forming empathetic relations with their products.
Underwater Fish Robot
Underwater Fish Robot
Trend Themes
1. Robotics in Water - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop autonomous underwater robots for various applications like marine exploration, maintenance of underwater structures, and environmental monitoring.
2. Bio-inspired Robotics - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create robots that mimic the movement and behavior of animals to enhance their capabilities in diverse industries such as surveillance, agriculture, and healthcare.
3. Human-robot Interaction - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design robots that evoke empathy and emotional connection from users, leading to enhanced acceptance and adoption in industries like education, therapy, and customer service.
Industry Implications
1. Marine Exploration - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop underwater robotic systems for deep-sea exploration and mapping to discover and understand new underwater ecosystems and resources.
2. Infrastructure Maintenance - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create underwater robots for inspecting and maintaining critical underwater infrastructure such as pipelines, cables, and offshore wind farms, reducing the need for expensive and risky human interventions.
3. Healthcare - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate bio-inspired robots in healthcare settings for tasks like patient monitoring, assistance with physical therapy, and surgical procedures, improving precision and patient care outcomes.