The "Robot Safari" exhibit at London's Science Museum features machines that mimic nature. Attendees oggled at robots inspired by glowing fish, flying bats to tumbleweeds. Part of the 13-robot display is U-CAT, a robot that swims like a turtle and may some day help investigate shipwrecks.
The U-CAT was created by a team of engineers from the Center for Biorobotics of the Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. The turtle-like robot was specifically designed to reach tight and deep spaces that are too risky to be explored by humans.
Unlike exploration vessels that are tethered, the robot is highly maneuverable and can travel any direction desired using its flippers. The robot sports a camera that can provide images for experts who want to reconstruct an underwater site.
"U-CAT is specifically designed to meet the end-user requirements. Conventional underwater robots use propellers for locomotion. Fin propulsors of U-CAT can drive the robot in all directions without disturbing water and beating up silt from the bottom, which would decrease visibility inside the shipwreck," said U-CAT designer and researcher Taavi Salumäe of Tallinn University of Technology in a press statement.
Underwater robots are often used for investigating areas where oil and natural gas might be deposited. However, these robots are often too big for shipwreck explorations. The U-CAT can be used instead of sending humans in very dangerous sites.
The U-CAT's design also allows it to visit shipwrecks without disturbing the sand and sediment, unlike propeller-equipped machines that occlude vision of investigators.
"The so called biomimetic robots, robots based on animals and plants, is an increasing trend in robotics where we try to overcome the technological bottlenecks by looking at alternative technical solutions provided by nature," explained Center for Biorobotics head Maarja Kruusmaa.
According to its creators, the U-CAT is also relatively cheap, so interested parties who might need its help can afford it.
The project is part of the Archeological Robot Systems for the World's Seas or ARROWS research funded by the European Union focused on developing technologies that will make life easier for underwater archaeologists. The U-CAT will be tested in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
"In the ARROWS project, the U-CATs would work in cooperation with larger underwater robots and together with image recognition technologies for discovery, identification and reconstruction of underwater sites, would facilitate the work in all phases of an archaeological campaign," disclosed Sebastiano Tusa of the Sicilian Regional Government.
