Animals

One Blueprint, Fivefold Growth, a Length-Scalable Fish Robot Built for Creeks and Lakes Alike

By Jackson Chung August 28, 2026

Most fish-inspired robots arrive locked to one length and one job. Scale them up for a lake or down for a creek and the whole machine usually has to be designed again from scratch. Engineers working between NYU Tandon and EPFL have shown a way around that limit with ScaFi, a compliant robot modeled on the tail-heavy swimming of fish such as cod and mackerel. Those species keep most of their body bend toward the rear, a style that works across a wide range of real animal sizes. ScaFi copies the same idea with a rigid motor-driven front and a flexible tail of fiberglass rods wrapped in red fabric. A single motor pulls two tendons that cross near the tail tip, forcing the familiar S-curve that pushes water backward.

Cyborg Cockroaches Gain Underwater Reach With a Tiny 3D-Printed Oxygen Suit

By Steve Sun July 6, 2026

Engineers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, working with colleagues at Waseda University in Japan, have added a working underwater capability to remote-controlled cockroaches. The insects already carry small electronic packs that let operators steer them through rubble and tight spaces. A new 3D-printed attachment now supplies oxygen so the same insects can keep moving when those spaces fill with water.

Researchers Capture First Glimpse of a Goblin Shark Going About Its Life in the Deep Ocean

By Bill Smith June 12, 2026

Marine researchers have recorded a goblin shark moving through its natural surroundings for the first time. Cameras placed in two distant parts of the Pacific Ocean caught the animals gliding past in the darkness, healthy and undisturbed. The clips come from separate expeditions and mark a shift from what scientists had seen before.

First Look at Pettichat, the Qwen-Powered AI Collar That Puts Words to Your Pet’s Barks and Meows

By Bill Smith May 24, 2026

A startup in Hangzhou just released a lightweight collar that listens to dogs and cats and turns their sounds into short sentences on your phone. Named Pettichat, the device weighs only 27 grams and sits comfortably around a pet’s neck. It picks up vocalizations through built-in microphones while motion sensors track posture, movements, and other physical cues at the same time.

Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Gives Chase to Wild Boars in a Polish Parking Lot

By Bill Smith April 14, 2026

A band of wild boars broke onto the sidewalk and grass on the outskirts of Warsaw, as seen on video late one night. Barely a moment later, a Unitree G1 humanoid robot appears from the side, its legs pumping furiously as it fights to stay upright.

This Fish Isn’t Just Swimming It’s Driving Around in a Custom Robotic Tank

By Bill Smith March 1, 2026

Carrot, a betta fish, has been promoted to tank captain thanks to a tinkerer who was determined not to let a fish become permanently locked in one location. Everything Is Hacked spent over a year developing a simple concept and gradually turning it into a reality. It all began with riffing on an old joke about a fish who gets to control the tank, and they set out to make the punchline a living, breathing entity. They were first playing with the concept of putting a simple fish bowl on a toy truck, but it felt too lazy. The major issue here was finding adequate space, as most fish want personal space to breathe, and cramming a full tank onto a small wheeled robot simply wasn’t going to cut it.

Adventurer Drops Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Camera Into Waters Off Black Magic Island, Captures Rarely Seen Creatures

By Bill Smith February 24, 2026

Photo credit: Barny Dillarstone
Barny Dillarstone is an adventurer who enjoys traveling to distant bodies of water and placing baited camera systems in places that most don’t even think of. He chose a location near Nusa Penida, a small Indonesian island nicknamed the “Black Magic Island” due to its murky legend and hazardous tides. Over the course of a few days, he was able to get his beloved Insta360 Ace Pro 2 down to about 170 metrers / 600 feet, where the water is so forceful that only the most desperate life can cling to the bottom.

Startup Uses Neural Chips to Turn Live Pigeons Into Cyborg Drones

By Jackson Chung February 9, 2026

A Moscow-based startup has taken a big move into the area of animal-machine hybrids. Neiry, a Moscow-based neurotech company, claims to have already made progress on remotely operated pigeons by inserting electrodes into their brains.

Wildlife Filmmaker Places Ten Sony Cameras Around Red Squirrel’s Food Stash, Bears Ensue

By Jackson Chung January 10, 2026

Photo credit: Jake Davis
Wildlife filmmaker Jake Davis placed ten high-end Sony cameras around a red squirrel’s food stash in Yellowstone’s high-elevation woodlands. This project had been years in the making, beginning with a simple desire to film grizzly bears and eventually turning into a deep curiosity with the intricate web of life that revolves around a single resource: whitebark pine cones.

Researchers Encounter Rare Giant Phantom Jellyfish Off Argentina’s Coast

By Jackson Chung January 8, 2026

During a recent expedition, Schmidt Ocean Institute researchers captured fantastic footage of a rare giant phantom jellyfish. But they had to put in the time: the remote-controlled vehicle, which was exploring the Colorado-Rawson submarine canyon off the coast of Argentina, didn’t detect the species until it was 830 feet down. Even so, it was only because the ROV illuminated its translucent bell as it slowly drifted down into the depths.