Originally published on October 8, 2013

Jellyfish exterminating robots capable of tracking and grinding up infestations completely unmaned has been developed by a research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

The Jellyfish Removal Robot System, known as JEROS, is carried by an autonomous surface vehicle. It is stabilized by a two-cylinder hull and can move forward, backward and even rotate 360 degrees through a propeller system.

The navigation system is complete with a camera and a global-positioning system. After scanning out the position of jellyfish blooms, the GPS algorithm then computes the best route for closing in its targets. As JEROS closes in, the jellies are sucked in and shredded up by the propellers.

In a trial run in the Gyeongnam Masan Bay, a fleet of three JEROS moving at four knots (7.2 kilometers per hour) cleaned out approximately 900 kilograms of jellyfish in just one hour. Further tests will be conducted under different environments and conditions.

Although jellies are a vital part of healthy ocean ecosystems, infestations can deplete planktons that would otherwise sustain other organisms. Northern Asia is one of the most affected areas, with costs and damages to Korea's fishing industry totaling up to $280,000 a year.

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