COTSbot, underwater robot, Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

[Airicist]

The COTSbot (Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish robot) aims to be a revolutionary advancement in robotic environmental monitoring and management, specifically to increase the efficiency of Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) eradication. Integrating state-of-the-art robotic vision and classification algorithms with experience in, and technologies for, shallow coastal water robotic monitoring, COTSbot also aims to provide a flexible tool that empowers a range of stakeholders to scale current eradication programs and protection of reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef.

Designer - Institute for Future Environments

COTSBot on Wikipedia

Team:

Matthew Dunbabin

Feras Dayoub

Peter Corke

[Airicist]

Crown-of-thorns starfish Detection system - COTSBot

Published on Aug 30, 2015

This work presents a novel vision-based underwater robotic system for the identification and control of Crown-Of-Thorns starfish (COTS) in coral reef environments. COTS have been identified as one of the most significant threats to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. These starfish literally eat coral, impacting large areas of reef and the marine ecosystem that depends on it. Evidence has suggested that land-based nutrient runoff has accelerated recent outbreaks of COTS requiring extensive use of divers to manually inject biological agents into the starfish in an attempt to control population numbers. Facilitating this control program using robotics is the goal of our research.

[Airicist]

Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish detection

Published on Aug 30, 2015

Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) are described as one of the most significant threats to the Great Barrier Reef. Since the 1960's, land-based nutrient runoff has accelerated outbreaks of COTS which are destroying large areas of reef.

[Airicist]

Article "COTSbot Is The Terminator Of Starfish"

by Edwin Kee
September 3, 2015

[Airicist]

Starfish-killing robot being tested

Published on Sep 4, 2015

This robot kills starfish to stop them from destroying the Great Barrier Reef

[Airicist]

Article "Could this robot save the Great Barrier Reef? Killer machine seeks out coral destroying crown-of-thorn star fish and shoots them with a lethal injection"
The COTSbot seeks out the scourge of the world's largest coral reef
The first sea trials took place in Queensland's Moreton Bay
Crown-of-thorn starfish are a threat to the Great Barrier Reef
The creators at Queensland University of Technology hope the robot will be on site by December

by Jennifer Russell
September 3, 2015