A group of Swiss university students has created an underwater robot that imitates movements of a cuttlefish.

The group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich created the robot under the Sepios project. They are aiming to produce a highly manoeuvrable underwater vehicle that causes the least disturbance to marine life. The robot is capable of swimming through the water using four large undulating fins that can rapidly propel it in any direction.

The robot can be controlled in a fairly simple manner as it requires only a computer mouse. The robot is capable of moving through sea grass or other underwater obstacles without becoming entangled or endangering sea life with the help of noise and spinning rotor blades. Experts have said that imitating the movements of such species might allow robots to reach places that are inaccessible by more traditional robots.

The students believe that the new ultra-quiet and highly-manoeuvrable'cuttlefish robot' will allow them to get much closer to fish without disturbing them. This will allow the robot to be ideal for projects in the sea.

The cuttlefish robot is the brainchild of Pascal Buholzer and fellow students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich.