Liang LI "Schooling fish: from biology to robotics and back"

With over half a billion years behind them, fish have evolved to swim with remarkable efficiency, agility, and stealth in their three-dimensional aquatic world. Given this, it's natural that engineers often look to fish for inspiration when developing efficient underwater propulsion systems. Over the years, roboticists have been inspired by these biological marvels to design fish-like robots that mimic real fish in terms of morphology, locomotion, movement, and hydrodynamics. Interestingly, the trend has recently shifted from merely drawing inspiration from biology to using robotics as a tool for better understanding biological processes. In this talk, I will first discuss our approach to designing and controlling these robotic fish, rooted in the concept of bio-inspiration. I will then provide examples of how we use both real and virtual robots to explore the mechanisms of collective behavior in schooling fish. To conclude, I'll offer a glimpse into my current and future endeavors in the realms of robotics, hydrodynamics, and biology.