[LUM#2] Diving on the Moon

[LUM Magazine] - Published on March 8, 2016 in Science and Society

After centuries spent at the bottom of the sea, the Lune, a warship from Louis XIV’s fleet, is now being studied by archaeologists with the help of underwater robots developed at the Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics (LIRMM).

The Lune lies at the bottom of the sea. This warship from Louis XIV’s fleet sank in 1664 in the harbor of Toulon, taking with it weapons, tableware, and the crew’s personal belongings—precious artifacts of a bygone era that now rest 90 meters below the surface. A treasure trove for archaeologists. And a challenge for researchers: “Beyond a depth of 50 meters, exploring shipwrecks by divers becomes too dangerous and too complex,” explains Vincent Creuze, a researcher at the Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics in Montpellier. The solution? Underwater robots, like Speedy. Equipped with cameras, it serves as the archaeologist’s eyes. But also as their hand.“Speedy is equipped with an articulated hand fitted with a pressure sensor ,” explains the expedition’s scientific director. A robot of great finesse that can grasp a fragile plate by squeezing it just enough to hold it between its metal fingers without breaking it. A world first. And the dawn of a new era for underwater archaeology, which will now be able to explore shipwrecks at ever-greater depths.

Keywords: Innovation, LUM#2, LUM Magazine, Research, Science, Technology