People guess what’s patrolling our U.S. coasts? It’s a robot jellyfish that is the size of a man. The Engineering team at Virginia Tech College has announced that they have successfully tested a new type jellyfish robot. Its weight is around 170 pounds and the robot prototype is called "Cyro" and it is much larger than its predecessor.
I don’t know about what people think about this but I believe this would be a monster to face in the ocean if they ever came face to face with one. Can you imagine looking into the eye of a jellyfish robot and not knowing that it is not real?
I’ve seen some big jellyfish in the oceans in my time but I could never imagine seeing one this big floating around in front of me. I know one thing that when a small jellyfish stings a person it hurts terribly and this is why I wondered if "Cyro" is cabable of stinging a person too? I’m sure it is not and that it is used solely for the purpose of collecting data and protecting the U.S. coast lines.
Fox News.Com reported a team which was led by Professor Shashank Priya in 2012, the robot jellyfish was approximately the size of a normal jellyfish; and he also stated that in less than a year, the jellyfish evolved from the size of a human hand to almost 6 feet in length. This makes one guess how much bigger do they want it to eventually be doesn’t it?
"Cyro" happens to be the product of a nationwide research and it’s funded by the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research. There is a $5 million research program that includes several other universities such as the University of Texas at Dallas, Stanford University and the University of California.
It is my opinion this is a vital research program that will enhance the U.S. coasts for years to come. There are many important things this program will be able to collect information about to get important data about the mapping of the oceans floors, to study marine life, to study the different types of currents of the oceans and to study the environment of them too.
According to the report on Fox News.Com, UCLA’s research is developing underwater sensing and communication for the jellyfish robots based on electric fields. This research has a goal to create robots that are autonomous and self-powered to conduct surveillance. This may also enable them to deploy the robots for the purpose of mapping oceans floors, monitor environment, study marine life and the oceans currents.
It reported as the jellyfish robot grows to a larger size, the further potential it has for endurance and its operational range.
It also reported that jellyfish can be found in every ocean of the world; it inhabits salt and fresh water which makes it easier for robot jellyfish to blend in and to go undetected.
It was reported the reason for "Cyro" being built was to replicate the jellyfish that also inspired its name, the cyanea capillata. It stated that jellyfish has a low metabolic rate and consume little energy in comparison to other types of marine life; and this makes them attractive and an inspirational reason for the robot’s design.
The University of Gothenberg is studying the North American comb jellyfish because it is capable of inaudibly nearing a target like a stealth submarine which researchers like.
The report said, "Nomura jellyfish has been known to grow up to six feet and actually weigh more than 600 pounds. It has a thick layer of skin which is made of a silicone that covers the "electronic guts," and it is also said, "Cyro looks very much like a real jellyfish."
It also indicated "Cyro" is autonomous and can swim by itself like a real jellyfish. For it to be able to swim the robot jellyfish has electronic motors and it directs its arms and artifical jelly body; and it does not have a nervous system; and to move and execute missions it uses "a diffused nerve net;" and as it swims about it can collect and analyze data all the same time; and relay the data collected back to humans.
The main goal for the robot jellyfish is to be able to operate for months on its own. "Cyro" is cabable of running on its own powered by a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery; and robot jellyfish requires to be tethered to operate.
It also stated that it will be several years before they will be able to deploy both types of these robots because at the current time they’re only in the prototype phase.
They’re currently working on a new prototype model which is already under construction; they’re looking for ways to reduce the power consumption and to improve its ability to swim.
Barbara Kasey Smith is the writer of this article base on a Fox News.Com report.
Source:
Fox News.Com
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