SubCULTron: Robotic Exploration of Unconventional Environmental Niches

The goal of the Submarine Cultures Perform Long-Term Robotic Exploration Of Unconventional Environmental Niches (subCULTron) project is the development of three types of robots to be distributed in the Venice lagoon. Besides monitoring the water, the robots will learn how to cooperate with each other and how to react to the environment. This is expected to lead to significant improvements in the field of artificial intelligence. The subCULTron project goes beyond the traditional limits of scientific research expanding its influence to the artistic field as well. Inspired by its underwater robots, a couple of artists named boredomresearch developed an installation. Robots in Distress is a murky underwater world populated by glowing craft, navigating the hazards of a terrain heavily polluted with plastic waste. Its aim is to investigate the links among biology, robotics, and environments impacted by increased human activity.