Read the text below.
Robots resembling jellyfish were recently created for marine research.
Engineers from Florida Atlantic University and the US Office of Naval Research made five jellyfish drones. Experts aim to use these mechanical jellyfish to explore and monitor underwater ecosystems, especially delicate organisms like coral reefs.
The devices record data as well as measure the ocean’s temperature and the amount of salt in the water. Scientists can then recover the robots from the ocean and download the information from these devices. Inventors are confident that these robots will be great tools for tracking how corals respond to climate change.
In terms of design, these jellyfish drones are very different from the small submarines that scientists commonly employ for underwater studies. The mini-submarines usually have blades that can damage coral reefs. On the other hand, the jellyfish robots are made of silicon rubber, which enables the machines to swim into tight spaces without harming the corals.
In the past, many engineers were inspired to use jellyfish as models for various inventions because of the marine animal’s outstanding ability to swim. For instance, experts from Virginia Tech College of Engineering designed machines modeled after jellyfish a few years ago. The human-sized robotic jellyfish called Cyro and the palm-sized device called RoboJelly are both designed to monitor the undersea environment.
Despite the jellyfish robots’ positive aspects, marine biologist John Turner from Bangor University has a minor concern. He said that turtles and large fish might mistake these robots for food, and ingesting the devices could harm the animals. Therefore, the professor suggests that engineers add features that will drive the creatures away from the robots.