redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports – Your Universe Online
The black ghost knifefish, a type of electric creature found in the Amazon basin of South America, has inspired researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois to develop new aquatic technology that could be used to study coral reefs, repair damaged deep-sea oil rigs or investigate sunken ships.
According to BBC News Science Correspondent Jonathan Amos, black ghost knifefish let off a tiny current as they swim in order to sense their environment, and they move around by undulating a long fin. The authors of the new study believe they can take advantage of both features in order to create autonomous underwater vehicles capable of swimming through debris in total darkness.
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