Octopi are being used as inspiration for a robot designed for exploring tight spaces under the sea.
The robot, called PoseiDrone, is being developed by researchers at the BioRobotics Institute, and is named after the sea god Poseidon, according to Discovery News. The machine has multiple arms, and 90 percent of it is made of soft materials so it can explore small spaces, repair equipment underwater and grab a hold of the human body for rescues.
Francesco Giorgio-Serchi, a scientist at the Research Center on Sea Technologies and Marine Robotics who is leading development of the robot, said an octopus's ability to swim, crawl and manipulate objects makes it "the ideal underwater robot," The New York Times reported.
After successful tests in a small seaside laboratory, the research team took the PoseiDrone on a small boat and deployed it in the Ligurian Sea. The team operated the machine with controls attached to the bot via cables, and it was able to swim in waves and crawl along rocks at the bottom of the sea.
3D printing also plays a role in the PoseiDrone's development, as the team looks to replicate important features on an octopus for the bot. Such features will include eight arms for providing a near infinite range of motion, flexibility that lets it squeeze through small openings, and a nervous system that acts as a brain to control the tentacles.
The team is looking at several potential uses for the PoseiDrone, such as inspecting and repairing underwater turbines, wave-energy generators, oil rigs, ship hulls, and fishing nets. The robot still depends on external control of modern motors and actuators to move. It has already shown that it can crawl, swim and carry small tools, but has not shown repairing skills.
Giorgio-Serchi said unlike hard-bodied underwater robots that need to hover at a safe distance from equipment, the PoseiDrone should be able to attach itself directly to equipment without damaging it, The New York Times reported. Having the robot perform dangerous tasks could make missions safer for human divers.
While the PoseiDrone is still being worked on, scientists are doing more research into the effectiveness of the robot and other soft-body machines like it, Discovery News reported.
"With the soft part," Giorgio-Serchi said, "It would just be a pile of motors and cables."
