California scientists developing shark-spotting robot ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Scientists at California State University Long Beach are developing a solar-powered shark-surveillance robot that could help protect athletes and beachgoers during the Games.The robotic vessel would patrol coastal waters, scanning for tagged sharks, collecting water samples and launching an aerial drone while sending real-time information to lifeguards.SHARK WEEK SHOCKER AS GREAT WHITE BREACHES JUST YARDS FROM OBLIVIOUS BOOGIE BOARDERIf people are alerted to a shark attack near them, it's much less likely they will also be bitten, experts say.(iStock)The craft is approximately 10 feet long and about as wide as a paddleboard, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Once fully operational, it could patrol specific beaches on its own for as long as a week at a time."It will have a drone on it (to) fly around and find sharks," Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe said."It will be listening for acoustically tagged sharks.

It will take water samples to look for white shark DNA."That could come in handy in 2028, when Southern California hosts Olympic events both in and around the ocean.Open-water swimming is scheduled to take place in Long Beach, while surfing will be held farther south in Orange County."We are going to have athletes swimming in Long Beach harbor, where we know there has been white sharks before," Lowe explained, "so having this device patrolling for lifeguards will help them better protect athletes."The LA 28 logo is photographed at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the venue for track and field events, ahead of the LA 28 Summer Olympics on July 22, 2026.(dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images)The goal is not to sound the alarm every time a shark swims nearby.

Sharks already frequent Southern California beaches, usually without bothering anyone.Instead, the technology would give lifeguards more information when deciding whether conditions warrant warning swimmers or clearing the water."Our data suggests that there are sharks around our beaches all the time without inci...