A mini remotely operated underwater vehicle has explored the Ross Sea in Antarctica, where penguins got cozy with it. And scientists think the public could use thousands of such robots to explore the world's oceans.
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Mr. Spock may think space is the final frontier, but Earth's deep oceans are just as mysterious and unknown. Now, one scientist says thousands of people could explore the oceans using cheap, remotely controlled robots.
"The deep has even more cool stuff than space," said Eric Stackpole, a researcher at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif.
For instance, there's a possibility that alien life exists on distant exoplanets, but scientists know for sure that hundreds or thousands of undiscovered species lurk beneath the waves, Stackpole said Sunday (May 19) here at the 2013 Maker Faire Bay Area, a two-day celebration of DIY science, technology and engineering. [Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 (Photos)]
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