Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a more life-like robotic fish that is soft, flexible and safe not just to humans but also to the environment.

The robotic fish is capable of swimming just like a real fish plus it can interact safely with humans.

The body of the soft robotic fish is made of a flexible material called silicone rubber. Moreover, it does not have defined joints. Its body can thus continuously distort, enabling to scientists to give it a countless range of configurations.

Robots constructed of hard materials like steel, chrome and plastic looks very good and can accomplish amazing tasks, but they it they accidentally smack into a human or animal, they can cause lethal injuries. The newly revealed robotic fish doesn't cause such harm.

Moreover, it will allow scientists to explore the underwater world.

Daniela Rus, the director of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, said, "This could be the ultimate exploration tool for the underwater world. It could create the ultimate underwater observatory where we could look into this world that we have no access to today."

The robotic fish can imitate a real-life fish's quick maneuver to avoid prey called the C-turn. Like a real-life fish, the robotic fish can make C-turn in a fraction of a second.