Sep 11 2014
The shimmering shores of Greece’s ancient island of Antikythera is the next site for University of Sydney underwater robotics experts assisting the Greek government in its search for antiquities.
Professor Stefan Williams, Dr Oscar Pizarro and Christian Lees from the University’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) are among the specialist team granted permission by Athens to survey the ancient shipwreck site off Antikythera.
“Stereo cameras on the AUVs will collect overlapping images of the shipwreck site. This data will be processed using an algorithm known as Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) to produce detailed three-dimensional models of the survey area,” says Professor Williams.
Once the AUV surveys are complete a specialist dive team will use a unique diving suit and advanced systems including mixed-gas closed circuit rebreathers to further investigate the sunken treasure site.
“The Antikythera wreck was first discovered in 1900 by fisherman searching for sea sponges. The following year when divers were attempting to recover ancient artifacts from the sunken ship they uncovered what is known as the Antikythera mechanism,” explains Dr Pizarro, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University whose research interests include robotics and imaging, particularly for oceanographic and ecological applications.
The ancient device dating back to 150 to 100 BC is widely recognised as the world’s first analogue computer. Antiquities researchers have suggested that the ancient computing device was developed on Greece’s nearby island of Rhodes. Renowned for its statue of Colossus - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the island is also believed to have been the ancient world’s centre of astronomy and mechanical engineering.
Previously the Greek and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) team’s goal was to re-locate the Antikythera Shipwreck and to document any other archaeological features around the entire island. The 2012 expedition resulted in a total circumnavigation of the island (34 km) in 8 operational days.
Rebreathers and driver propulsion vehicles are now part of the team’s standard kit and these will be used during the coming weeks to conduct surveys with underwater metal detectors. Divers will have up 30 minutes of ocean-floor time per day, enjoying greater mental acuity and a larger safety margin than that of previous divers at Antikythera.
The “Return to Antikythera” project is directed by Dr Aggeliki Simossi of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The research is supported by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and funded by private foundations and corporate sponsors including luxury watchmaker Hublot S.A. of Geneva. The project will use two of the ACFR’s autonomous underwater vehicles and a Remotely Operated Vehicle to image the shipwreck and assist with the recovery of artifacts.
Professor Williams and Dr Pizzaro’s research projects also include archaeological survey at sites throughout the Mediterranean; ecological monitoring of structurally complex marine habitats around Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef; and the survey of artificial hydrothermal sites near Okinawa and debris fields at Fukushima in Japan.