A robot fish developed by the Research Centre in Robotics and Underwater Technologies (CIRTESU) at the Universitat Jaume I has received the national award for best work in marine automation at the Spanish Automation Committee conference, held in September in Cartagena. The system has been tested both in CIRTESU’s facilities and in the waters of PortCastelló.
The jury mentioned the project’s mechatronic design and the integration of multiple systems, which allow the robot to operate as a research and inspection platform in aquatic environments. The device is capable of deploying and retrieving sensors underwater and is equipped with biomimetic fins, an umbilical communication system, auxiliary sonar, and a visual inspection system designed for fish farm nets. According to CIRTESU, these features are intended to support aquaculture maintenance and monitoring.
CIRTESU researcher Raúl Marín emphasized the importance of combining laboratory trials with real-world testing, pointing to the collaboration of the Port of Castelló in the experiments. The research forms part of the doctoral thesis of Andrea Pino Jarque and is supervised by María Rosario Vidal and Raúl Marín Prades, coordinated by Professor Pedro J. Sanz Valero. Additional contributions included underwater communication experiments carried out by graduate Max Puig Sariñena as part of his final degree project.
The Port Authority of Castelló, which signed a collaboration agreement with UJI in July 2024, has provided facilities for experimental trials. Port Authority president Rubén Ibáñez said that joint research with CIRTESU supports the port’s strategy as a site for technological development in infrastructure management.
The project was conducted within CIRTESU’s Interactive Robotic Systems Lab, also known as the Submarine Robotics Group in the Department of Engineering and Computer Science.
