Even Penguins Are Using AI Now

09 May 2024

As the world continues to grapple with the business benefits and potential creative detriment of AI, it appears penguins are all-in on the tech.

However, it's not a flesh-and-blood penguin using AI to undertake research in the global seas. Instead, it's an autonomous underwater robot that mimics penguins. You know, like James Bond wearing a tuxedo to infiltrate Spectre at a Monte Carlo casino.

The penguin robot brings the tux, but it is being deployed to learn beneficial data about the ocean, rather than stopping terrorism. (We hope.)

Developed by Germany's EvoLogics, the autonomous underwater vehicle—called a Quadroin AUV (second generation)—can descend to a depth of 492 feet and "swim" as fast as 11.5 mph. It also includes side-scan sonar, dual HD cameras, LED spotlights, and an lithium-ion battery with ten hours of mission time after a six-hour charge.

So, where does the AI come in?

Quadroin has onboard AI object recognition and a Nortek Nucleus1000 subsea navigation package. The bottom line of that tech is that the Quadroin always knows where it is, as well as what exactly it is observing. As with most AUVs, Quadroin follows a preprogrammed path to collect and assess data. Its findings can be transmitted via Wi-Fi, and it even includes a light show to help scientists find it in the ocean.