Marine animals such as mantis shrimp and squid have inspired a new mode of underwater navigation that allows for greater accuracy.
University of Queensland Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) scientists are part of a group of researchers who have developed the technique using imaging equipment that was sensitive to polarising light.
The researchers built polarisation sensors that were able to determine the sun’s position in the sky based on patterns of light underwater.
Dr Samuel Powell said the discovery took inspiration from marine animals including mantis shrimp and cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus), which use polarisation to communicate.
Read more at University of Queensland
Image: Two peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) wrestling. (Credit: Marshall laboratory / The University of Queensland)