Autonomous robots may be able to tell us just how bad the melting ice situation is in Antarctica and other hard-to-reach locations. Gavia, a bullet-shaped robot developed by the University of British Columbia, is attempting to do just that. The robot is currently in Antarctica on a mission to explore heretofore uncharted areas of the ocean.
The eight foot by two foot robot, which comes decked out with mapping sonar, a digital camera, current meters, and a slew of sensors, is currently in Antarctica with PhD candidates from the University of British Columbia’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and Fluid Mechanics group.
If all goes well, Gavia will gather information from below the 330-foot Erebus Glacier Tongue until November 12. Stay tuned.
Via Discovery News
Photo by Donnie Reed