Ocean-Mapping Robots Could Help Uncover Mysteries of the Deep Blue

An anonymous reader writes: A swarm of pumpkin-shaped robots is being developed to map oceans, gathering maritime data for use in tourism, reef monitoring and anti-terrorism among other applications. The Eve robot – or Ellipsodial Vehicle for Exploration – was created by Sampriti Bhattacharyya, a robotics engineer at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT). Inspired by the loss of the Malaysia Airlines plane, the scientist envisions her yellow robots travelling below the water's surface, using their sensors to detect and monitor underwater happenings – both individually and collaboratively.

I hope it's prepared to defend itself

[Lead Butthead]

There're a lot of hungry critters down below... That or it better not taste very good...

Re:

[PPH]

Last message received: "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn".

Wot about anti-tourism?

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> tourism, reef monitoring and anti-terrorism

What about anti-tourism? I'll bet there's be a market for that too.

Start with Howland Island

[tsuliga]

I think they should start with the area around Howland Island. They can use this to shake out the technology and perhaps locate the Electra from Amelia Earhart.

Then worry about the rest of the oceans.

Attention: if you did not read the article

[Anonymous Coward]

For those of you that did not read the article, the robotics engineer that created this is seriously hot. It is worth following the link for the pictures only.

Does anyone else get tire of the word "Could"

[frnic]

It seems there is a constant flow of articles here and around the web that spout off about things to COULD happen, or COULD change life as we know it, or COULD have a profound effect.

Someone wake me when something WILL do something.

Re:

[dohzer]

Yep, I was about to post that. We all know that robots WILL do this, so I'm not sure why the author is being so conservative.

2 hour battery life?

[Tim Holt]

Yea good luck mapping much with that. And check out the video for it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] - the very end where they all swarm off the bottom towards a ship is just creepy...

Pattern recognition...

[cmeans]

Let's hope they're also on the look-out for debris like from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 etc..

I'm sure there's a bunch of human crap down there (though probably re-purposed where possible by the local inhabitants), but all of it should be of interest to us...either for the damage it's causing, or the damage it's from.

Pumpkin shaped?

[spauldo]

I know pumpkins come in a lot of different shapes, but I've never seen one that was shaped like that.

They look more like footballs with a flat bottom.

Neat, though. It'd be interesting to see them in use.

Re:

[necro81]

I know pumpkins come in a lot of different shapes, but I've never seen one that was shaped like that.

Looks more like a spaghetti squash [google.com] to me.

It could make a lot of money

[MouseR]

If it could find MH370.

Underwater gliders

[tomhath]

Most of the applications listed for this pumpkin would be done better with an underwater glider [wikipedia.org]. They've been in use for years, I always thought they are an especially clever design for long range underwater vehicles.

Battery Life?

[wkwilley2]

Only a 2 hour battery life? Why even bother? Make the battery bigger, that will also help with bouyancy issues. If you're trying to get down to the Mariana Trench, 2 hours is cutting it short.

Pumpkin?

[in10se]

Has the writer ever seen a pumpkin before?