A Stanford robotics team has built a humanoid robot that can stand in as "the physical representation" of a remote pilot — a swimming avatar for dangerous aquatic expeditions.

The robot, OceanOne, is a two-handed, anthropomorphic bot that provides haptic feedback — meaning the pilot can "feel" what the robot reaches out and touches. OceanOne's first trip was to the wreck of the La Lune, a ship that sank off the coast of France in 1664, where the robot recovered artifacts.

The goal is for OceanOne to help out on missions that are too dangerous for human divers. While OceanOne is still a prototype, the project could eventually become a fleet of robotic divers, working together as human pilots guide them from afar.