Scientist create remote-control robotic fish which swims through coral reefs and takes high-resolution photos

When exploring marine environments, underwater robots tend to be a bull trout in a china shop, disturbing marine life with their bulk and disruptive propulsion. Enter SoFi, the soft, agile robotic fish with a delicate demeanour. Scientists said they have created a remote-controlled robot that swims quietly through coral reefs and schools of fish and uses a fisheye lens – of course – to capture high-resolution photos and video with a camera built into its nose. Dubbed SoFi, it can swim forward, move up and down, turn and change speeds, propelling itself by wiggling its tail side to side like a real fish, a motion created by pumping water with a small motor into two balloon-like tail chambers. SoFi, built with a generic fish design, is white, weighs less than 1.6kg and is about 47cm long.