Will the world be taken over by robots one day? We're not sure, but we do know #robots could prove handy when it comes to shellfish farming. NCState_BAE researchers plan to use small fleets of unmanned vehicles on the water and in the air to improve oyster production near the #NorthCarolina coastline. The goal is to get the vehicles to work with each other to monitor water quality in areas that are difficult and dangerous for people to access. The team is focusing on water quality because it has important implications for the safety of consumers’ food and for producers’ profitability. Bacteria and other pollutants carried by stormwater into the ocean can cause nearshore producers to halt their harvests temporarily, until the bacteria reach safe levels. These closures are estimated to cost producers 25% of their average annual income. Our long-term goal is to get this information – and ultimately these robotic tools – in the hands of growers to help mitigate production and income lo...