▲AIRO's Robot Fish

AIRO (Artificial Intelligence Robot) is a Korean robot venture company founded in September 2014. Under the aegis of the ‘Robot Pilot Program Test bed for Market Creation’ supervised by the Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, AIRO launched sea bream versions of their large aquarium robot fish, MIRO 9.0 (53cm) and the medium aquarium robot fish, MIRO 7.0 (33cm).

The MIRO (Marine Intelligence Robot) was designed to mimic the natural swimming movements of a real fish. Sensors allow the robot fish to avoid obstacles; they can swim on their own in upwards/downwards or left/right motions. The fish are also Bluetooth enabled, allowing users to directly control the robot fish. The fish becomes operational when the central processing unit (CPU) located in the head of the fish detects the signals from the infrared sensors and sends a start signal to the motor, which connects each third of the fish. The robot comes equipped with an 84Wh lithium ion battery, which holds a day’s worth (22 hours) of charge underwater.

▲AIRO President Dragon Oh

The Sea Bream MIRO is characterized by its ability to mimic the natural swimming patterns of a real fish. AIRO stands alone in the world as the only company to produce and commercialize such biomimetic robot fish. Currently, the company has launched a version of one of the most globally popular aquarium fish, the brightly colored, eye-catching silk carp. The company was able to mimic the wide-ranging colors and patterns of a live silk carp through long hours and know-how. These patterns can be custom ordered using 3D design technology, resulting in new designs that are difficult to see in real silk carps.

MIRO is currently being supplied for exhibition purposes to Korean aquariums and student science centers; it is also being exported to Japan, China, and Singapore. At the Henna Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, the robot fish are the center of attention in the lobby for hotel guests. Recently, they were part of a special exhibition at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where they delighted appreciative visitors. They could also be seen at the ‘Yongsan Robot Festival’ held in Yongsan this year.

▲Robot fish at the Henna Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

AIRO also developed the MIRO-DRONE and resurrected the Coelacanth (MIRO-21), a fish species that has been extinct since the Paleozoic era. The company has been receiving foreign orders for the Coelacanth. In addition, the company has developed underwater performance system technology using MIRO. Robotic fish performing together in water tanks is expected to emerge as a new performance genre. With this technology, the aquarium and aquarium fish robots can be used to create a new entertainment product, such as underwater robotic dramas. AIRO is expanding to aquariums and theme parks with their underwater performance systems using the world’s first underwater robots.