April 7, 2015

GOTCHA! ULTRA-REALISTIC ROBOT PROVES THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SCARE A FISH




(April 7, 2015)  In the world of the tiny zebrafish, the predatory red tiger oscar is the stuff of nightmares. And while the species has no natural reason to fear robots, researchers at the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering have published the first study showing that, in a side-by-side comparison, a robotic predator can spook zebrafish just as well as the real thing. Their results may help advance understanding of fear and anxiety in animal populations, including humans.

The study, along with an image of the strikingly lifelike robotic model, is the cover story of the forthcoming June issue of the journal Zebrafish.

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