This crazy underwater robot uses 12 spinning arms to swim around like bacteria
Bacteria is amazing. We’ve found bacteria we’ve never seen on the ISS, and even bacteria that can eat forever chemicals. But what do you get when you combine a Raspberry Pi, 12 motorized arms, and some microbial inspiration? A bacteria-inspired robot named ZodiAq that swims using flexible flagella—just like microbes do. It’s slow, smart, and surprisingly delicate for something with twelve spinning limbs.
Developed by researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, ZodiAq is an underwater robot designed to move with a level of control that propeller-driven bots just can’t match. Instead of traditional thrusters, this bacteria-inspired robot uses 12 flexible arms that spin like bacterial flagella, letting it glide gracefully in any direction.
Each arm is 30 centimeters long and powered by its own motor. At the core of ZodiAq is a Raspberry Pi that coordinates the spinning of these arms based on feedback from sensors measuring depth and movement. The robot can also communicate with a surface computer using an acoustic modem—no need for tethers.
The bacteria-inspired robot draws its design from real-life bacteria and how they propel themselves. As such, the design swaps speed for precision. It takes about 15 seconds for ZodiAq to cover two body lengths. But in sensitive environments—like coral reefs or archaeological sites—slowness is a feature, not a bug.
Beyond gentle propulsion, researchers are already planning a major upgrade. They’re developing flagella that can flex for movement but stiffen to grip objects when needed. That would allow ZodiAq not only to observe its surroundings but to interact with them—potentially performing tasks like collecting samples or delicately manipulating underwater equipment.
Scaling up bacteria’s efficient propulsion has long been a scientific curiosity. “Scientists say that the propulsion of bacteria is the most efficient mechanism at small scales,” Anup Teejo Mathew, one of ZodiAq’s creators, told New Scientist. “Scaling it up makes the mechanism entirely different—but it seems to work.”
In initial tests, the robot swam for up to an hour at depths of 2.5 meters, navigating precisely to designated points. It’s not ready to replace fast-moving drones, but when it comes to safety, stability, and environmental friendliness, this soft-spinning design makes a compelling case for a gentler kind of machine.
ZodiAq might look like a sci-fi jellyfish, but behind the flexing arms is a promising new direction for underwater exploration.
The post This crazy underwater robot uses 12 spinning arms to swim around like bacteria appeared first on BGR.
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This crazy underwater robot uses 12 spinning arms to swim around like bacteria originally appeared on BGR.com on Sat, 12 Apr 2025 at 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.