In Mediterranean waters, off the coast of France, a diver recently visited the shipwreck La Lune ? a vesssel in King Louis XIV's fleet ? which lay untouched and unexplored on the ocean bottom since it sank in 1664. But the wreck's first nonaquatic visitor in centuries wasn't human ? it was a robot.
Dubbed "OceanOne," the bright orange diving robot resembles a mecha-mermaid. It measures about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and has a partly human form: a torso, a head ? with stereoscopic vision ? and articulated arms. Its lower section holds its computer "brain," a power supply, and an array of eight multidirectional thrusters.
Guided by a computer scientist from a boat, using a set of joysticks, OceanOne combined artificial intelligence, sensory feedback and dexterous mechanical construction to perform delicate tasks underwater, such as retrieving a fragile artifact from the wreckage and placing it in a box so it could be brought to the surface.
