Scientists at California State University Long Beach are developing a solar-powered shark-surveillance robot that could help protect athletes and beachgoers during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Robot Capabilities
The robotic vessel would patrol coastal waters, scanning for tagged sharks, collecting water samples and launching an aerial drone while sending real-time information to lifeguards.
The craft is approximately 10 feet long and about as wide as a paddleboard. Once fully operational, it could patrol specific beaches on its own for as long as a week at a time.
According to Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe, the robot will have a drone on it to fly around and find sharks, listen for acoustically tagged sharks, and take water samples to look for white shark DNA.
Olympic Events and Shark Safety
Open-water swimming is scheduled to take place in Long Beach, while surfing will be held farther south in Orange County.
Lowe explained that having this device patrolling for lifeguards will help them better protect athletes, as there have been white sharks spotted in Long Beach harbor before.
The goal is not to sound the alarm every time a shark swims nearby, but to give lifeguards more information when deciding whether conditions warrant warning swimmers or clearing the water.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
