Japanese robotics team develops deep-sea robot that can grab sample creatures on its own

A robotics group involving researchers from the University of Tokyo and Kyushu Institute of Technology has developed an autonomous maritime robot that can find samples of seafloor life and collect them. Seafloor life is usually collected by manned submersibles that require large mother ships because deep-sea video images cannot be obtained in real time via current wireless communications technology. The new robot, however, is small enough to be carried on a small ship. "The time may come when scientists can use such a robot anytime at low cost," Kyushu Institute of Technology professor Tamaki Ura said Tuesday. The box-shaped robot, called Tuna-Sand 2, is 1.4 meters long, weighs 380 kg and can dive to 2,000 meters.