The ‘dual robot’ drone – developed at Imperial College London and tested at Empa and the aquatic research institute Eawag in Switzerland – has successfully measured water in lakes for signs of microorganisms and algal blooms, which can pose hazards to human health. The drone could be used in future to monitor climate clues such as temperature changes in Arctic seas.
The researchers developed the drone to boost the ability to quickly deploy monitoring drones to aquatic environments. The unique design, called 'Multi-Environment Dual robot for Underwater Sample Acquisition' (Medusa), could also help monitor and maintain offshore infrastructure such as underwater energy pipelines and floating wind turbines.
Professor Mirko Kovac, principal investigator on the project and director of the Aerial Robotics Lab at Imperial, as well as being head of the Robotics Centre at Empa, said: “Medusa is unique in its dual robot design, with a flight component that...