MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) scientists have recently developed underwater robots that will use a new system, taking advantage of its cognitive capabiltiies in monitoring underwater marine life including their natural habitats and carrying out other tasks.

According to Brian Williams who is a professor of astronautics and aeronautics in MIT, these robots are quite unique as they possess cognitive skills that can carry out high level decisions when it comes to the achievement of mission goals. The robotic system is also called Enterprise by the team. 

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Scientists further explain this in terms of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) as engineers are required to write scripts for lower level commands in order to direct the robot in achieveing mission goals. However, with the new Enterprise system, MIT engineers developed this to enable humans to specify high level goals for the AUVs with their cognitive skills to achieve missions.

This new system can also help robots to devise a plan for the mission and select locations to explore the work within specific timeframes. During an unforeseen event, the robot can even decide to abort any kind of task.

Scientists also conducted system tests on seven AUVs off the western coast of Australia where they found out that these robots have the ability for adaptation during a mission and can also avoid any sort of collision with others.

Williams adds that the team wanted to demonstrate how these robots could plan their own missions and adapt as well and even make new plans without human support. This new system also shows how the AUVs can explore the reefs in a zigzag manner similar to an obstacle course. 

He also revealed that upon developing this system, the engineers have taken inspiration from Star Trek when it comes to the hierarchy used that managed the crew in Star Trek when it comes to numerous decision making levels.

More so, one part of the Enterprise system is called "captain" that can execute high level decisions all throughout the entire mission. The other part of the system is the "navigator" that follows a route to achieve mission goals and another part works like an engineer that diagnoses and repairs problems in an autonomous manner.

This type of system is also applied to other NASA systems for spacecrafts as Williams also worked with NASA's Ames Research Center.

TagsMIT, AUVs, Star Trek, underwater robots MIT, underwater robots