The Crabster CR200 Rules

Move over Japanese Spider crabs, the Crabster CR200 could be the new king of crustaceans. Clocking in at 6.5 feet tall and 1322 pounds, the Crabster is a giant robot with LED spotlights, high resolution scanning sonar, as well as a bevy of cameras and navigation sensors. Seoul scientists designed the CR200 to operate successfully in strong currents using six legs with 30 joints. Over the summer the Crabster passed its first underwater test shown below and will soon be used to inspect shipwrecks, marine life and, well - whatever it wants to.





Unlike ROVs and AUVs, the Crabster is designed to be lowered by crane to around 200 meters (650 feet) below the surface, where it will walk along the sea floor on six legs powered by 30 joints. Moving on legs will hopefully prove more stable, and won't stir up as much debris as propellers. And like a crab or a lobster, the robot's two front legs are equipped with manipulators that can grasp objects that can be stored in a frontal compartment. The researchers also designed the robot's shell to deflect strong currents by adjusting its overall posture.

More:
Huge Six-Legged Robot Crabster Goes Swimming - IEEE Spectrum

KIOST

 

doesnt seem power efficient.

 

It seems to me it wouldn't be very good for science. If it's walking across the bottom, then wouldn't it alter any benthic environments it may study by walking through them?

 

Does it need to be? It's tethered to a power cord.

Good point, although it was designed this way to directly address issues with strong current.

 

Funny you say that about the power cord... I noticed it has a USB(L) port