Slinky, swimming robot moves and looks like a snake
No, this isn't a CGI character from a "Transformers" film -- it's a real-life autonomous underwater vehicle that looks like a slithering snake swimming through the water. Norwegian engineering company Kongsberg Maritime says the snake-like robot is a tool that can be used to survey and examine difficult-to-access areas in the water, CNET reports.
The robot was developed in a collaboration between Kongsberg, the petroleum company Statoil, and Eelume -- a spin-off company from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The reptilian robot will live permanently on the seabed to monitor underwater equipment and perform maintenance task.
Those with ophiophobia -- a fear of snakes -- might want to avoid watching the video below:
The team conducted research on snakelike robots for more than 10 years to perfect the design.
"Now we take the step from academia and into the commercial world to secure our place in the new and exciting subsea intervention landscape," Pål Liljebäck, Eelume CTO, said in a press release.
The robot will carry out work like adjusting valves, for instance, which are hard to reach for humans.
The companies say it will help save money, prevent equipment shutdowns and react quickly when work is needed.
