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Earth\u2019s oceans are\u2014like space\u2014a largely unexplored frontier. Relatively few humans have explored either place, using specialized life-support equipment. Unlike space, however, the oceans also have other beings that can explore them: jellyfish. They can head to places underwater that humans can never go. That makes them interesting candidates for autonomous ocean exploration.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jahn Dabiri, a researcher at Caltech, is modifying these creatures to create biohybrid robotic jellyfish. These cyborg jellies do what they\u2019ve done since time immemorial: swim, eat, sting, and breed. But, with a few enhancements\u2014including a little electronics pack and a prosthetic hat\u2014these little guys now have enhanced swimming capabilities. The idea is to use the cyborg jellyfish as data-gathering robots. They will swim the ocean to collect information about temperatures, oxygen levels, and salinity. Climate change affects all these factors. This is important as we seek to understand how the buildup of carbon dioxide could affect the oceans.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s well known that the ocean is critical for determining our present and future climate on land, and yet, we still know surprisingly little about the ocean, especially away from the surface,\u201d said Dabiri. \u201cOur goal is to finally move that needle by taking an unconventional approach inspired by one of the few animals that already successfully explores the entire ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n \n