Few events in history have so engaged public attention as the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic on April 15, 1912. The massive ship remains a compelling subject and has been the topic of countless TV shows, movies, books and, as of late, a great many news stories. Though she sank, the Titanic has always been a stubborn girl and even after 91 years, she won't be forgotten. Ever since the re-discovery of the ship in 1985, robots have taken an interest in her. In recent months, they are exploring the wreck as no one has ever before.
Robotic examination of the ship began by Doctor Robert Ballard. Dr. Ballard is credited as locating the site of the wreck, and he and his team developed and deployed a small submersible robot called "Jason Jr." (left) to retrieve the first underwater images of the Titanic. Ballard described the robot as a "swimming eyeball", and it did see what Ballard wanted seen, making worldwide news. This robot was a landmark in technological development, and the basis for many revisions and improvements to come. Ironically, the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institution chose to call the next iteration of their revolutionary robot, "Jason" (and didn't even say "senior!"). This impressive work is the basis for much of what was to come in terms of underwater robotics technology.
In 1986, Ballard made a prophetic announcement about what would be done to explore the Titanic: "The day is fast approaching when that job can be done faster and better without man's physical presence in the sea. Until recently there has been no way of duplicating human skills at great depth—of providing man's sophisticated eyes and brain and articulating hands to solve complex problems or perform difficult tasks."
There are many questions and theories about why the ship sank and it seems certain that robots will soon deliver definitive answers. Some suggest that the quality of the steel used to manufacture the rivets and plating in the hull were substandard and that the extreme cold temperatures in the north Atlantic, combined with the collision with a huge iceberg and a great deal of human error, caused she ship to literally shatter. Another theory is that the iceberg tore a massive gash in the side of the hull, compromising the ship's "airtight" compartments.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Waitt Institute and RMS Titanic, Inc. (the organization that owns salvage rights to the Titanic) are conducting extensive research on the Titanic wreck site. RMS Titanic, Inc. has produced a very impressive video oriented website, showcasing the most recent news about the doomed ship. Click here to take a look: http://www.expeditiontitanic.com/.