Cyro Robotic Jellyfish Now A Reality

Technology has undergone vast improvements over the last decade. We are moving forward with bold and innovative ideas. Robotics that once seemed just a part of Hollywood movies is becoming everyday life reality. One cannot deny the fact that this pace is increasing exponentially. Science is progressing at a very fast rate and that too for the betterment of mankind and planet earth. Application of technology to professional fields has brought about a drastic change; no longer are complicated surgeries as risky as they used to be, military equipment is being improved to reduce collateral damage, engineering is setting new goals and inventions are coming in like anything. The age of technology or the era of innovations; both names would suit this time quite well. Speaking of all these technological advancements and innovations, we have something that will have you surprised and intrigued at the same time; Cyro. Cyro is the name of a robotic jelly fish that will soon be added to police squad for the sea and oceans for the Navy. But that’s not all that Cyro is supposed to be used for.

Environmentalists! Meet your new pal in the sea for this robotic jelly fish shall be working in the sea for the sake of Mother Nature as well. U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research funded a grant of $5 million for Cyro. The idea was to create an autonomous robot which would be one day used for mainly two purposes; Undersea military surveillance and to monitor Ocean’s environment. Monitoring ocean’s environment would prove to be helpful when it comes down to monitoring the impact of oil spills on marine life and water. A lot of ingenious persons were brought together for this project and not just from a single university; it is the result of a joint collaboration of a number of universities mainly; the researchers at Virginia Tech, along with colleagues at UCLA, Stanford University, Providence College in Rhode Island and the University of Texas at Dallas. So, you see, a lot of research went into creating this autonomous robotic jelly fish. Cyro has a rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery which powers its linear actuators which move its arms and Cyro’s electronics as well. The research team for Cyro has claimed that Cyro can deliver much more than what’s expected in a single charge; it can stay in the ocean for days, weeks and even months! Let’s take a look at it’s physical specifications; Cyro measures 5 feet and 7 inches across and has a weight of about 170 pounds. Quite some weight and dimensions, wouldn’t you agree? The design was based on a real species; Cyanea capillata. Cyanea capillata enjoys a spot in the world’s largest jellyfish list.

One may very well ask the question that why go for a jelly fish design. Why not something else? The answer is simple; Jellyfish is considered to be the most efficient marine species and it has a diverse family, that is to say, it comes in various shapes and sizes providing engineers with a number of designs to select from.  Readers, this is the future –  robotics.