TOULON, FRANCE — A humanoid diving robot developed at Stanford University could help scientists get to parts of the ocean that human divers just can't reach.
The OceanOne robot was deployed last month to retrieve sunken treasure from an ancient shipwreck off the coast of the French city of Toulon. It returned with a vase from La Lune, the flagship of France's King Louis XIV, which sunk in 1664, Stanford News reported.
The robot, which is roughly five feet long, is designed to take on tasks that are either dangerous or beyond the limits of divers. For example, it has no problem with lack of air supply, or the decompression sickness known as the bends, the Guardian reported.
OceanOne is controlled by a pilot on the surface, who can see exactly what the robot sees through two forward-facing cameras, according to Stanford News.
OceanOne's hands are fitted with sensors, which provide haptic feedback to a joystick, allowing the operator to feel whether the robot is gripping something light or heavy, firm or delicate.
The robot is powered by thrusters and navigates with sensors and cameras, which help it to compute how to avoid collisions.
Researchers hope the robot can be used to study coral reefs located below depths that humans can dive to comfortably, Stanford News reported. There are also plans to enhance the robot's sensitivity by adding tactile sensors to each finger.
The vase recovered by OceanOne from the shipwreck was reportedly covered in ocean debris and smelled like raw oysters, but was in good condition, according to Stanford News.
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