A group of scientists in Israel constructed a “Fish Operated Vehicle” and trained six goldfish how to drive it on land. The FOV for short is a basic plexiglass water tank equipped with four motorized wheels as well as a camera to track the fish’s movements. There is also a computer, and LIDAR technology to determine the FOV’s position.
The researchers are from Ben-Gurion University and their paper was published this month in the journal Behavioural Brain Research. They explained “The vehicle was designed to detect the fish’s position in the water tank and react by activating the wheels such that the vehicle moved in the specific direction according to the fish’s position,”
After the fishes got used to their new environment, they eventually learned how to navigate towards a pink target in a three-by-four metre room. The fish were rewarded a pellet if they successfully made it to the target. The study reported “the fish became progressively more proficient on the tasks and by the last session exhibited control of the FOC and high level of success,”
For more information about the source click HERE