Humanoid diving robot hunts for sunken treasure in French shipwreck
by Robin McKie Science editor from Technology | The Guardian on (#1CC2V)
'Robo-mermaid' able to reach depths too dangerous for human divers retrieves vase from wreck of Louis XIV's flagshipRobotics scientists at the US's Stanford University have achieved a remarkable first: they have successfully sent an automated avatar - which they describe as a robo-mermaid - down to an ancient shipwreck to retrieve a vase from the sunken vessel.
La Lune, the flagship of Louis XIV of France, sank 20 miles off the south coast city of Toulon in 1664. Only a few dozen of the hundreds of men on board survived. The wreck, which lies at a depth of 100 metres, had never been disturbed until the OceanOne robot craft reached it two weeks ago and recovered the grapefruit-size vase.
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