Scientists discover that goldfish can learn to drive

Goldfish are able to navigate on land, Israeli researchers have found, after training fish to steer.

The team at Ben-Gurion University developed a fish-operated vehicle. The robotic car uses LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a sensor technology that uses pulsed laser light to collect data from the terrestrial location of the vehicle and the fish inside a set up aquarium.

A computer, camera, electric motors and omnidirectional wheels gave the fish control of the vehicle.

“Surprisingly, it doesn’t take long for the fish to learn how to drive the vehicle. They are confused at first. They don’t know what’s going on, but they quickly realize that there is a correlation between their movements and the movements of the machine they are in,” said researcher Schachar Givon.

Six goldfish, each receiving about 10 driving lessons, participated in the study. Each time one of them reached a target set by the scientists, he was rewarded with food.

And some goldfish were better drivers than others.

“There were very good fish that were excellent at what they were doing, and there were mediocre fish that showed control of the vehicle but were less proficient at directing it,” said biology professor and neuroscientist Ronen Segev.

Showing that a fish possesses the cognitive ability to navigate outside of its natural aquatic environment can expand knowledge about the animals’ essential navigational skills.

“We humans think of ourselves as very special, and many think of fish as primitive, but that is incorrect,” said Segev, “There are other very important and very intelligent creatures.”