Engineers and scientists of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology at the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed and successfully tested a new underwater robot in Lake Ladoga. It will be used, among other things, to monitor the radiation situation in the Kara Sea, Boris Rozman, head of the underwater video technology laboratory of the Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with TASS.

"A lot of containers with radioactive waste were sunk in the Kara Sea, which carry a great environmental threat. They need to be constantly monitored. Recently, tests of the new-generation robot GNOM-PRO-4G have been completed in Lake Ladoga. The robot will be equipped with special instrumentation that will allow it to monitor the situation,"  Rozman said.

The robot is able to operate at a depth of 300 meters. During the tests, the broadcast of what was happening underwater was conducted in real time from two cameras. The device is equipped with a manipulator, which allows it to lift items from the bottom.

"In the latest model, we abandoned foreign-made engines in favor of a domestically produced propulsion and steering system. During the tests, the device plunged to a depth of 120 meters, but it is designed to operate at 300 meters," Mr. Rozman said.

According to TASS, the device is to be later upgraded by specialists, after which it will go into small-scale production and will be manufactured along with existing models.