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Robotic Point of View

WHOI scientist Yogesh Girdhar is working to endow underwater robots with an ability that is particularly human: curiosity. Specifically, he is writing algorithms that will allow robots to distinguish interesting visual stimuli and redirect their movement toward them, a capacity would make autonomous underwater vehicles even more autonomous. This image shows an underwater robot’s point of view as it uses curiosity to explore the ocean. Blue circles mark potentially interesting regions in the robot’s view and the red circle marks the most interesting thing in its view that attracts the robot’s attention. (Photo courtesy of Yogesh Girdhar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)