To explore the ocean, a group of scientists created cyborg jellyfish

In an effort to uncover the secrets of the little-studied ocean depths, scientists have come up with an unusual approach – turning jellyfish into biomechanical cyborgs. These modified creatures should help explore hard-to-reach underwater areas of the World Ocean.

The fact is that today only 15-20% of the seabed has been mapped. Vast unexplored areas of the ocean hold answers to many important questions regarding climate, natural disasters, ecology and energy resources. In addition, each new expedition discovers previously unknown species of marine life.

A team of Caltech researchers has found an ingenious way to overcome the technical difficulties of exploring the deep ocean. Instead of creating a robot that imitates the efficient movements of jellyfish, scientists decided to modify the inhabitants of the oceans themselves.

Experts have developed implants that can speed up the swimming of jellyfish, as well as 3D-printed fairings to reduce water resistance. In experiments, robotic jellyfish showed a speed 4.5 times higher than their natural counterparts.

It was no coincidence that the choice fell on jellyfish – these spineless creatures lack a nervous system and are not capable of experiencing pain. At the same time, the design of the implants was assessed by bioethicists for safety for animals.

In the future, such modified creatures will be able to act as autonomous scouts to collect data in the most inaccessible corners of the World Ocean: depressions, deep-sea canyons, etc. Cyborg jellyfish will monitor ecosystems, identifying any changes caused by human activity. Now scientists are working on creating special sensors that can withstand extreme pressure at great depths.