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Finally ... RoboShark!
Noryungi writes "Cousteau's grandson has built a robotic replica of a great white shark to better observe these animals in their natural environment. The robot-slash-submarine is able to mingle with the great white, and not draw their attention, thanks to a closed-circuit pneumatic propulsion system and cleverly disguised cameras. Do not miss the nice pictures next to the Wired article. Let the Dr Evil joke begin!"
Forget your namby pamby laser-free sharks.
You want one of these!
http://www.innespace.com/
sweeeeeeet.
I am a leaf on the wind
Yes, but does it come with a freakin' laserbeam mounted on its head?
"It's extremely innovative" said Cousteau. "It's a 1,200-pound tool that looks, feels and moves like a great white shark."
1,200 pounds is pretty big no matter how you look at it. And on top of that it moves with no engine noise or bubbles. It pushes through a 120-cubic-foot cylinder to move.
This definatly sounds like an improvement from the robotic shark used in the Jaws movies. I hate to be the one stuck filming with the thing if it malfunctions.
However, if the sub goes kablooey, Cousteau can eject through an escape hatch in the shark's head.
Only to be eaten by a hungry Great White.*
*One would be suprised how the Great White is really looked at competely the wrong way. The reason for the wrap of the bad name (besides Jaws) is the problem with their way of satisfying their curiousity. As humans have a habit of touching things they are curious about with their fingers sharks satisfy it by biting. Their bite is meant only as a touch but with thousands of razor sharp teeth it can also be deadly. I've seen divers who swim with full size (17 feet) Great Whites without a cage and escape harmless.
I'm a virgo and on Slashdot. Coincidence? Yes.
This is a great idea that should be generalized to allow humans to more easily observe nature (both in and out of the water) without the interference of cameras and trucks/boats etc.
:).
Although I have not seen it I have heard that such a stunt was portrayed in some Jim Carey Pet Detective movie to the delight of potty humorists everywhere (I look forward to seeing it myself some day
It would also be a riot if other alien species do this type of thing to observe humans. Bump into someone on the street and a camera falls out of their mouth and all kinds of alien cursing starts coming from within the guy's body.
All your attention are belong to my old internet meme.
Take dolphins for example. I just gegoogelt and found that white shark prey on dolphins, so it seems reasonable that dolphins would use their echolocation to sense the presence of "shark". I wonder what this faux shark would sonar like. :P )
(hopefully not chicken!
To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
" Spielberg could have saved himself a lot of money filming "Jaws" if this thing had existed then and been at all realistic. I'll bet Grade B movie producers are scrambling over themselves to offer to rent this thing."
This thing swims like a shark but does not bite like a shark, so is not ready for the movies.
Now, I don't know much about aquatic life, but wouldn't be cheaper if, instead of mimicking sharks with a robot, they just attach three remora-like cameras to a real shark?.
...RoboTuna!
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
Now what would be funny is if the guy added a laser pointer to it's forhead that he could fire during pictures. Use one of the green ones, it'll show up well in the water.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...