Overview
Unveiled in Science Robotics in March 2018, SoFi was described by its authors as the first robotic fish able to swim untethered in three dimensions for extended periods. A motor pumps water between two balloon-like chambers in the silicone tail to produce a fish-like side-to-side stroke, and the fish swam alongside real reef fish for up to 40 minutes at a time. It is a research platform, not a product, but it became the reference example of soft-bodied underwater robotics.
- Type
- Swimming robot · Robot fish & biomimetic swimmers
- Maker
- MIT CSAIL (Distributed Robotics Lab), USA
- Released
- 2018
- Price
- Not for sale
- Status
- Not for sale (research)
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- No programmability
Price and shipping
University research prototype
Shipping: Not for sale. Lab prototype at MIT CSAIL. Never offered for sale.
Specifications
| Category | Swimming robots · Robot fish & biomimetic swimmers |
|---|---|
| Released | 2018 |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | Not for sale (research) |
| Programmability | No programmability |
| Built-in autonomy | None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions |
| LLM support | None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one. |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Camera |
| Actuators | Hydraulic / pneumatic |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Unknown |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | Fish-sized (dimensions not published in the MIT announcement) |
| Propulsion | Soft silicone tail flexed by a hydraulic pump alternately filling two internal chambers, dive planes and a buoyancy control unit for depth |
| Depth rating | Tested at more than 50 ft (~15 m) on Fiji's Rainbow Reef |
| Tether / comms | Untethered, commands sent by a custom acoustic link from a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller (divers piloted it from almost 70 ft away, per Wired) |
| Camera | Single camera with fisheye lens in the nose (high-resolution photo and video) |
| Sensors | Not published |
| Runtime | Up to 40 min per dive |
| Speed | About half a body length per second (average) |
| Compute | Not published |
| SDK | None public |
Common questions
How much does SoFi cost?
Not for sale. University research prototype.
Can SoFi be bought today?
No. It was never sold to the public.
Who makes SoFi?
SoFi is made by MIT CSAIL (Distributed Robotics Lab), USA. It came out in 2018.
Can SoFi be programmed?
No programmability.
Does SoFi have AI chat or LLM support?
None. No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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