It's tough for people to gather lots of good data about the deep sea, as it's really hard for humans to get down there. You know, the pressure and distance and temperature and all that stuff. But hey, robotic submarines don't die quite as easily as we do, so why not send one of them down there to do our dirty work for us? Good thinking!

That's just what the University of Washington's Deepglider is, a 71-inch-long, 138-pound device that can go as deep as 9,000 feet and hang out in the ocean for up to a year without needing to be tended to. It's designed to kind of roam around on its own and gather data randomly, giving scientists more info on what goes on deep down. If we can just program it to gather high-quality sushi-grade fish, I'd be interested in buying one for myself. — Adam Frucci

Wired, via Engadget