Humanoid Explores Deep Waters Through Haptic Technology

From Atlantis to the Spanish treasure fleet, legends and treasures surround the deep waters and explorers can’t help but submerge to find the truth behind each and every one of them. Unfortunately, exploring the unknown at great depths brings risks and restraints with it. So, a team from Stanford created a humanoid that could take the place of regular divers #machinemagic

Ocean One was initially made to study coral reefs in the Red Sea, a task almost impossible for human divers due to the depths needed to reach. Although human-like in appearance, the robot strangely resembles a mermaid, too, with a “tail” made of batteries, computers and 8 multi-directional thrusters. Otherwise, his torso features a head with “stereoscopic vision that shows the pilot exactly what the robot sees” and two arms.

To ensure accuracy and zero threats to sea life, Ocean One is completely controlled through haptic technology, meaning a human operator directs its every move from the boat and feels everything the robot does underwater. In this way, explorers can still experience the rush of discovery in real time, without the adjacent risks.

Ocean One can dive up to 2000 meters underwater, making it a great option for exploring shipwrecks. That said, researchers hope to replicate the robot or even improve on it, in order to create a team of robotic divers.