Researchers at monterey bay aquarium research institute (MBARI) unveil the benthic rover II, an autonomous, deep-sea roaming robot. the benthic rover II traveled to a depth of 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) to explore the muddy floor of the deep sea, and will autonomously collect oceanographic data for more than five years. the intrepid robot, about the size of a small car, is equipped with onboard cameras and other such instruments which capture glimpses of the mysterious communities which occupy the floor of the deep. The benthic rover II will withstand the cold, corrosive, and high-pressure conditions of the deep sea. constructed from corrosion-resistant titanium, plastic, and pressure-resistant syntactic foam, the bot can withstand depths reaching 6,000 meters (about 19,700 feet) deep — for reference, the earth's deepest oceanic trench, mariana's trench, is 11,034 meters (36,201 feet) deep. the robot will uncover the mysterious creatures which occupy the ocean's depths while reporting critical data which will help the team of researchers — led by alana sherman of electrical engineering group and ken smith of MBARI — to understand the poorly quantified deep-ocean carbon cycle. while it's widely understood that increasing carbon dioxide emissions have harmfully impacted the changing climate, the rover will offer more insight into these effects.