Skip site navigation
Maryland Today
Athletics Arts & Culture Campus & Community People Research
Athletics Arts & Culture Campus & Community People Research
Research

Inspired by Nature

Engineering Professor Builds Autonomous Sub That Mimics Fish Behavior

Derek Paley, Willis H. Young Jr. Professor of Aerospace Engineering Education at the University of Maryland, and his team of students are developing a robotic submarine that looks and behaves exactly like a fish. Paley explains that while his robot is no match for the incredible precision of nature, he hopes that one day there will be schools of robotic fish that will help scientists better understand how Earth's bodies of water are changing and adapting.

Related Articles

Research

October 28, 2026
Research team’s custom chatbot could help strengthen trust in election workers.

Research

September 23, 2026
New game asks players to ponder the teeming communities inside and all around us.