Aussie robots mine the ocean depths

In 2019, an Australian mining company will begin to cut through deep sea rock in search of gold.

TECHNOLOGY Three huge mining vehicles will soon set to work 1,600 m below sea level. The Australian company Nautilus Minerals, which is responsible for the (literally) groundbreaking technology, is getting ready to begin large-scale mining in the Pacific Ocean off Papua New Guinea, where geological studies show that the rock is rich in gold, copper, zinc, and other valuable metals, which are becoming ever more rare on dry land.

The Australian vehicles are remote-controlled, so no humans will feel the icy temperatures and the extreme pressure on the ocean floor. The technology initiates a longanticipated mining revolution, and companies throughout the world are anxious to join in.

CUTTER The cutter uses its huge, rotating roller drill to crush the rock into fragments, which are left on the sea floor. COLLECTOR Like an extreme vacuum cleaner, the collection machine sucks up the material, directing it towards the...