Robots can hitch-hike on sharks thanks to ultrastrong sucker

Who are you calling a sucker? Underwater robots could soon hitch rides on sharks and whales thanks to a fish-inspired suction cup that clamps on to shark skin and other surfaces. "Scientists could record data by attaching this robot to animals without hurting them," says Li Wen at Beihang University in China, whose team developed the sucker. It is designed to cling to a moving surface, like a shark, even as it twists and turns at high speed. The design for Wen's robotic suction cup is inspired by the slender sharksucker – a marine fish that attaches itself to sharks, rays and turtles using a sucking disc on its head. In the wild, the sharksucker hitch-hikes rides on hosts so it can snack on food scraps, faeces and the crustaceans that live on marine animals, all while expending minimal energy.