This "Robo-Dog" Could One Day Be an Ocean Explorer
February 21, 2018—A new robot that walks along the seafloor, and looks a bit like a dog that sinks in water, could offer new options for recording aquatic research sites. National Geographic Explorer Marcello Calisti heads the SILVER Project (Seabed-Interaction Legged Vehicle for Exploration and Research), and his team recently completed a field trial for their invention off the coast of Italy's island of Elba. The robot can walk or crawl for precise movement in delicate conditions. And for hops and jumps in broader areas, Calisti's team designed a spring-loaded mechanism. Taking images in a fixed location with the SILVER takes less energy with a walking robot than with a submarine-like drone. Long-exposure images without background blurring demonstrate stability. Calisti sees SILVER as a tool for various disciplines. Uses could include counting sea life populations and collecting samples from the seafloor.
