COTSbot Robot is a Starfish Assassin

Sep-05-15 The COTSbot robot will protect the Great Barrier Reef by identifying and attacking starfish with its onboard injection system.

According to the Queensland University of Technology, who developed the robot, the crown of thorns starfish contribute to about 40 percent of the Great Barrier Reef’s destruction annually. To help protect the unique ecosystem, the team created the autonomous bot and spent six months training it to recognize the starfish and inject them with a fatal dose of salt. The robot is able to function very close to the sea floor—a remarkable feat in itself—and is the first autonomous underwater robot equipped with an injection system.

According to Dr. Mattheew Dunbabin, “We see the COTSbot as a first responder for ongoing eradication programs - deployed to eliminate the bulk of COTS in any area, with divers following a few days later to hit the remaining COTS.”

More Info about this Invention:

[UBERGIZMO.COM]
[BBC.COM]

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