Robots go Where Scientists Fear to Tread
May 27, 2008 | Source: KurzweilAI
Georgia Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania State University researchers have build autonomously collaborating robots called SnoMotes to collect data from dangerous ice-shelf environments.
On-site measurements of ice-shelves can be more accurate than satellite or static weather station data, but they are difficult and dangerous for scientists to collect.
The two-foot by one-foot SnoMotes are based on a snowmobile kit, with sensors, AI algorithms, and cameras added. The robots decide themselves which positions to take as they move around and gather data.