The U.S. Office of Naval Research has developed an underwater robot tuna capable of swimming into enemy territory.
The 5-foot, 100-pound robot is built to look like a Bluefin tuna as part of an operation called Project Silent Nemo.
According to The Virginian-Pilot, seamen took turns controlling the robot tuna remotely, though it can be programmed to swim a particular route in advance. During testing in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the device was tested by civilian engineers and military officers.
"This is an attempt to take thousands of years of evolution — what has been perfected since the dawn of time — and try to incorporate that into a mechanical device," Jerry Lademan, the Marine who's leading the project, told The Virginian-Pilot. The plan is to "essentially reverse-engineer what nature has already done."
The concept of deploying robots with the biological traits of living things remained the stuff of science fiction until recently. The Navy said Silent Nemo could be working within the next 12 months, according the Pilot.
"The first time I saw it, I thought it was a living fish," Lademan told the newspaper. "It looks alive. It's crazy."
In practice, a fleet of robotic fish could search for sea mines in hostile waters or inspect ship hulls for damage, necessary jobs that often put men and women in danger.
The Navy has previously used dolphins, sea lions, and some whales on missions. Dolphins assist in finding sea mines, while sea lions are trained to collect lost items.