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Long-Running Underwater Robot Lost At Sea

Posted by timothy on from the all-mechanical-pincers-bury-the-dead dept.

this_boat_is_real writes "Somewhere off the coast of Chile a pioneering underwater robot named Abe lies in a watery grave today. The Autonomous Benthic Explorer was one of the first truly independent research submersibles, being both unmanned and un-tethered to its launching ship. While on its 222nd research dive on Friday all contact with the craft was lost, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has announced."

4 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. It's a message from the Chilean mob... by DemonBeaver · · Score: 5, Funny

    Abe is now sleeping with the fishes.

    --
    This message was brought to you by Sarcasm and Troll Feeders United (STFU)
  2. Re:floaties? by Volante3192 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Touché, vulgar anonymous poster.

    The people that design these things are smart. Smarter than the average poster here in their field. If Joe Armchairengineer can think it up, I'm pretty damn confident that the engineers behind ABE thought of it too.

    In fact, from the WHOI release, there's this nugget:

    ABE was equipped with several independent systems to bring it back to the surface at the end of a dive or should a fault occur. The Melville remained in the vicinity to see if ABE had resurfaced, at first searching for ABE’s strobe lights in the darkness. Researchers tried to establish radio contact with ABE in the event it had surfaced, but attempts turned up nothing.

  3. Cthulhu strikes again! by gront · · Score: 5, Funny
    Om Nom Nom Nom... tasty robot snack.

    http://www.goominet.com/unspeakable-vault/vault/309/

  4. ALERT SLASHDOT by Stephen+Tennant · · Score: 5, Funny

    Activate tearducts and proceed with robot mourning routine!

    --
    I spend most of my time in bed, darling.