By Jason Maderer
Apr 16, 2021
A snake-like robot can now slither its way through water, allowing it to inspect ships, submarines, and underwater infrastructure for damage.
Researchers from the Biorobotics Lab in the School of Computer Science’s Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University tested the hardened underwater modular robot snake (HUMRS) last month in the pool, diving the robot through underwater hoops, showing off its precise and smooth swimming, and demonstrating its ease of control.
“We can go places that other robots cannot,” says Howie Choset, professor of computer science. “It can snake around and squeeze into hard-to-reach underwater spaces.” Choset and Matt Travers, co-directors of the Biorobotics Lab, led the work.