Goldfish Blub sets Guinness World Record by steering motorised vehicle
Dutch engineer Thomas de Wolf created a motion-sensing car that translates the movements of his pet goldfish into driving directions.
A goldfish named Blub secured a Guinness World Record after steering a motorised vehicle for 12.28 metres in one minute. According to the Times of India, the attempt was carried out by Dutch computer engineer Thomas de Wolf and his pet on the set of the Italian television programme Lo Show dei Record in Milan on January 23, 2025.
The motion-sensing car uses a camera to track the fish inside a transparent water tank. When Blub swims towards one side, the system directs the four-wheeled platform to move in that direction. The vehicle was designed specifically for bright red fish to ensure the camera could detect their movements easily.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Sofia Greenacre oversaw the attempt and calculated the distance by counting coloured marks on the wheels. The 12.28 metres covered by Blub exceeded the minimum requirement of five metres for the record.
De Wolf said the project was intended to add fun to his monotonous work as a computer engineer. He also noted that the experiment demonstrated what technology can achieve even without a practical application.
During the programme, host Gerry Scotti suggested the technology could eventually assist people with physical impairments. De Wolf said he would like to potentially help people with mobility issues in the future.