“Guardian” Robot Harvests Lionfish, Protects Reef Biology

As reported by Adele Peters of FastCompany.com, the Guardian can descend to the 200 – 500 foot depths where lionfish breed. The robot itself has evolved through a few developmental iterations to make it easier to handle and operate.  The robot is human controlled in order to avoid catching similar-looking fish such as the wolfish, but future iterations will be equipped with recognition software to distinguish between the two species.

A commercial version of the Guardian will come to market in due course.  In the meantime, online stores such as Lionfishhunting.com provide traditional fish hunting gear for avid divers who wish to help in this promising reef-protecting mission.

Story and images courtesy of FastCompany.com and UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com.