Ever tried to get snot from a 100 ton whale? No? That is likely because it would be very difficult to do, and actually quite dangerous for the whale. But, the scientists at the Olin College of Engineering are looking at the possibilities of using a robot, called the Snot Bot, to collect the mucus from the whales. The snot bot is a quadcopter a surgical sponge mounted to the bottom as a mucus collection mechanism. The snot bot would be able to find the blow hole, by using a live FPV feed, and hopefully get right in the middle of the eruption of water/air as the whale exhaled. Researchers could then use the collected mucus to learn more about the whale, much like a blood test would tell humans. If the researchers can convince the FAA is safe for whales they will take flight and use drones that will cost under $3,000 each.
No comments:
Post a Comment