Crabster Robot Could Change The Way We Explore Underwater Sites

This looks like one of those headcrabs from Half-Life, albeit it being a mechanized one. Known as the Crabster, this is a robotic wonder which has the ability to revolutionize underwater exploration, thanks to the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology that will test the robot in the Yellow Sea as the Crabster assists archaeologists in shipwreck site exploration.

The Crabster would tip the scales at 635kg, where it was specially designed to have it scuttle along the sea floor in the same manner of that as an actual crustacean, being capable of enduring strong underwater currents. Hopefully it will also be equipped with enough explosives to close any underwater portal to prevent kaiju from swimming to our surface, but that is in an alternative science fiction world.

The Crabster have been fitted with 11 cameras, allowing it to function efficiently in exploration projects as well as fixing ruptured pipelines. Forget about space being the final frontier, there is still plenty to explore in the deep blue sea, where 11 cameras will work to zoom in on interesting objects. There is also a ‘doppler’ which is capable of gauging the speed and direction of moving water, while a responder would send out acoustic pings, allowing researchers to figure out the Crabster’s exact location. Future enhancements could see it come with a scanning sonar so that it can map out its surroundings in 3D.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Robots
Tags: crabster