Scientists at Stanford University in California have created a robot that can dive down in deep ocean to locate shipwrecks and sunken planes which is impossible for humans to do. The humanoid, OceanOneK, is controlled remotely, and gives feedback to the user, who is dubbed as “virtual diver”, allowing the operator to feel like they're underwater explorers.

Figure 1: The humanoid, OceanOneK, is controlled remotely.

Figure 1 shows thatthe machine has anthropomorphic hands, sensors and limbs, and is perfect for exploring the deep-sea with unprecedented versatility.The robot has two eyes for stereoscopic vision, and with its nimble arms and hands, it can man oeuvre through difficult marine environments while providing realistic feedback to the operator.

It is fitted with computers and eight multi-directional thrusters that allow it to carefully navigate through the sites of fragile sunken ships. [1]

The Stanford team wanted to create something that came as close to a human diver as possible, integrating artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and haptic feedback.

The robot is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, and its brain can register how carefully it must handle an object without breaking it -- like coral or sea-weathered artifacts. An operator can control the bot, but it's outfitted with sensors and uploaded with algorithms so it can function autonomously and avoid collisions.

The researchers upgraded the robot's arms with an oil and spring mechanism that prevents compression as it descends to the ocean depths. OceanOneK also got two new types of hands and increased arm and head motion. [2]

The robot’s intelligence is furnished by the merbot’s “brain”, which has tactile pressure sensors that can prevent it from crushing anything in its grasp.The merbot’s batteries are contained in its tail, along with computers and a set of underwater thrusters. Pairing that with its navigation system, it can keep itself steady even in turbulent waters.

So far, the machine has been sent to explore a sunken Beechcraft Baron F-GDPV plane, Italian steamship Le Francesco Crispi, a second century Roman ship off Corsica, a World War II P-38 Lightning aircraft and a submarine called Le Protée. [3]

The robot carefully placed a boom camera inside the Crispi's fractured hull to capture video of corals and rust formations while bacteria feast on the ship's iron."They can interact with the robot deep in the water," Khatib said, "and this would be amazing because this would simulate the task of doing this on a different planet or different moon." [2]

References:

1. https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-create-humanoid-robot-that-can-dive-underwater-to-explore-shipwrecks-502196
2. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/30/tech/oceanone-diving-robot-scn/index.html
3. https://www.india.com/viral/viral-video-humanoid-diving-robot-explores-shipwrecks-on-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-watch-5545452/

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), New Humanoid Robot to Explore Shipwrecks, Anatechmaz, pp.147