Got to love them - we are certainly having a field day with robotics and drones.
More from this press release from Rutgers University:
Navy Funds Rutgers to Develop Drone Equally Adept at Flying and Swimming
The Office of Naval Research has awarded Rutgers University a grant to develop a drone – equally adept at flying through the air and navigating underwater – that could speed search-and-rescue operations, monitor the spread of oil spills and even help the Navy rapidly defuse threats from underwater mines.
Javier Diez, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, had been dabbling with the concept for years with the help of his graduate and undergraduate students. But when he demonstrated it to Navy research officials earlier this year, they almost immediately funded his work on new versions of the air-and-water craft.
“They told me they’d never seen anything like it,” said Diez, who at first compared the vehicle to what nature does.
Very cool! A long way to go for something that can carry a practical payload but all the pieces are there.