Underwater operations company Phoenix International has a contract with the U.S. Navy to use a robot called Bluefin-21 to search the Indian Ocean for signs of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370.
The 21-foot-long robot is capable of staying submerged for 25 hours at a time, deploying its sensors to search and map 40 square miles of sea floor per day.
We spoke to David P. Kelly, President and CEO of Bluefin Robotics, the Massachusetts-based company which manufactures Bluefin-21, to learn more about it.
“It’s a 4,500-meter-rated vehicle, so it can descend to 2.5 miles underwater,” he told us. “Once it goes down, it ‘flies’ above the seabed and uses sonar acoustics to image the ocean floor. It also moves in a ‘mowing the lawn’ pattern, running in parallel lines that overlap and cover the entire bottom to form an image of the sea floor.”
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japanese company selling bear-proof automatic doors
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
Viral 3D ice creams land in Japan… but are they worth the hype?
Popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ichiran’s lucky bags are great value for money
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
TeamLab Planets: Walk up a waterfall and catch koi fish at new digital art museum in Tokyo
We smash up some rock-hard rice crackers with a hammer to find out which one is the toughest
Jamiroquai doll from Japan lets you control your own Virtual Insanity 【Video】
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Is Kyoto less crowded with tourists after China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning?【Photos】
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
TeamLab Planets: Walk up a waterfall and catch koi fish at new digital art museum in Tokyo
We smash up some rock-hard rice crackers with a hammer to find out which one is the toughest
Jamiroquai doll from Japan lets you control your own Virtual Insanity 【Video】
An umbrella to keep your backpack dry is just the thing we need this rainy season
Spy x Family anime cafe opening, non-secret agents welcome too
Why this centuries’ old Shinto shrine is suddenly also a hot spot for anime fan art【Photos】
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli announces new anime short in production, now recruiting staff to make it
We try a traditional Tokyo dish of stewed loaches, encounter something we’ve never seen before
Japanese convenience store chain has beer and sake dispensers that few people know about
We zapped up some tasty hot sandwiches in the microwave with 3COINS’ new gadget from Japan
This is Akihabara’s best hidden food vending machine: The Mansei meat sandwich machine!