Drug-Sniffing Robofish

The next weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance may be a robotic fish. Designed to monitor levels of pollutants in water, it can swim through lakes and streams to provide critical information on threats to our water supply due to industrial pollution and farming.

A prototype will soon be deployed in the lakes near Michigan. Antibiotics are a category of pollutant that is receiving lots of attention. Although it’s clear that levels of antibiotics in the water supply are increasing, little is known about how they spread or where they originate. The robofish will be able to help pinpoint where they are coming from by monitoring levels in different parts of the lakes.

The device, known as the Gliding Robotic Fish, was awarded a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in August 2017. The patent covers its unique navigation and propulsion system.