A 10-foot-long, solar-powered robot is in development to detect shark activity ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The device, being built by California State University Long Beach scientists, will patrol the ocean, collect water samples, deploy drones, and relay real-time data to lifeguards. The aim is to provide safety for athletes during open-water swimming events in Long Beach harbor.
What the technology can do now
The robot can operate independently for up to a week. It uses sensors and imaging to scan for sharks and is designed to adapt to changing conditions. Its drone component will help expand the monitoring range, allowing lifeguards more visibility and decision-making tools. Surfing events, held further south in Orange County, are also in the early stages of safety planning.
Challenges ahead
Funding for the project is in question. The state support that helped launch the project is set to expire this fall. That could slow progress. Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe noted, “We are going to have athletes swimming in Long Beach harbor, where we know there has been white sharks before. So having this device patrolling for lifeguards will help them better protect athletes.”
Despite the low global odds of shark attacks—below the chance of being struck by lightning or mauled by a bear—two deaths have occurred in the past eight months. In December, swimmer Erica Fox was killed near Santa Cruz, and in January, a 56-year-old woman died in the Virgin Islands after a shark attack.