Scientists Are Teaching Goldfish How To Drive
I’ve gone on record with my hesitancy to embrace autonomous vehicles. I know people are not perfect drivers but I’m still more comfortable with a human behind the wheel than without one. Now the issue becomes more complex. According to Huffington Post, a group of scientists in Israel are training goldfish to drive.
The study conducted by researchers at Ben-Guiron University of the Negev set out to see if a goldfish’s navigational skills would work on land. A small fish tank was placed on a set of wheels, with the vehicle using a camera and remote sensing system that moved in whichever direction the goldfish swam. The researchers trained the goldfish to move the “fish operated vehicle”, or “FOV,” towards targets with a food reward in return.
A press release from the study authors said it appeared that “navigational ability is universal rather than specific to the environment.” In other words, the fish can drive. There’s even video (below) that shows the little swimmer moving the “FOV” to the correct destination. I’m still not getting on that bus.
