EAST LANSING, MI (AP)-- 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 says the robots will advance the technology from earlier versions, including monitors that can track fish equipped with acoustical transmitters.
The East Lansing school says 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 have measured water quality and temperature in lakes and rivers. The university says the new version has greater mobility and energy efficiency and will cost far less than the $300,000 each of the previous model.