This realistic robotic fish in China is sure to surprise you. It looks so real that you would almost wanna question what you see. The bionic fish truly blurs the boundary between real and fake.
Reports say that, China has developed a hyper-realistic, bionic robotic fish that weighs around 3 kgs. It has been designed to move underwater naturally and quietly than the conventional underwater drones.
The technology used mimics the transition and movement pattern of real fishes. The body of the robotic fish in China has seven sections and three movable tail joints. This helps to mimic the movement of a real fish.
The robotic fish can reportedly operate autonomously for around 5 hours on one charge. It carries a front-mounted sonar system for monitoring its underwater surroundings. This also prevents it from dashing against other objects underwater. The most interesting feature however is the appearance, it is designed to resemble an ordinary fish. This makes it harder to notice and easier to mingle.
This robot can be used to gather underwater information and can be used for surveillance for real-time information. The basic idea is simple instead of building a machine build something that looks like a part of the environment and put it to work.
It can easily keep an eye and collect information of activities underwater.
Looks like a fish, moves like a fish—but it’s a robot. At #CIFTIS2026, China’s bionic technology is bringing robotics ever closer to nature. #InnovativeChina pic.twitter.com/v4ponBrSrG
— Chinese Mission to UN (@Chinamission2un) September 14, 2026
