Engineers at MIT have created a new generation of robotic fish . ' ( CNN ) -- Schools of robotic fish could one day map the ocean floor , detect pollution or inspect and survey submerged boats or oil and gas pipelines , researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say . Robofish ' could be used to map the ocean floor , inspect submerged boats or pipes . MIT researchers built their first robotic fish , `` Robotuna , '' in 1994 . The robot is able to swim on its own and can even detect changes in water pressure that would indicate an underwater earthquake.
Engineers at MIT have created a new generation of robotic fish . ' Robofish ' could be used to map the ocean floor , inspect submerged boats or pipes . MIT researchers built their first robotic fish , `` Robotuna , '' in 1994 . The robot is able to swim on its own and can even detect changes in water pressure that would indicate an underwater earthquake.