EU-engineers build autonomous underwater drone

The result of an international team effort, this robot has the compact shape of a metallic sphere and is stuffed with high-tech electronics. Sixty centimetres in diameter, it's built to withstand the pressure at 500m deep. A robotic explorer can be of an immense value to the mining industry and emergency services. Its developers are planning to use it commercially for a site evaluation service — and they’re already getting calls.