# Episode 151: Robots to study the ocean - Simona Aracri

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2026-04-10
- Length: 28m
- Episode: 151
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri

## Summary

Simona Aracri, a researcher at the National Research Council of Italy, discusses the design and deployment of robotic platforms for monitoring extreme environments like glaciers and polar oceans. She details specific projects including the portable Marmote robot for pro-glacial lakes, the ORCA Hub's 'Limpet' sensor platform for offshore energy, and the reconfigurable Protos robot. Aracri explains the engineering challenges of operating in cold climates, the integration of soft robotics for delicate sampling, and the critical importance of coupling robot telemetry with environmental data for validation.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=7) Introduction and Research Overview
- [3:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=217) Monitoring Extreme Environments and Climate Change
- [5:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=321) Data Collection and Robot Telemetry
- [7:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=471) The Marmote Portable Robot for Glacial Lakes
- [9:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=571) Soft Robotics and Delicate Sampling
- [12:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=762) Wildlife Interaction and Environmental Safety
- [14:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=868) Navigation and Positioning Under Ice
- [16:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=976) ORCA Hub and the Limpet Sensor Platform
- [19:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=1167) Autonomy, Reconfigurability, and the Protos Robot
- [22:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-04-10-episode-151-robots-to-study-the-ocean-simona-aracri#t=1343) Cold Weather Challenges and Data Interpretation

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- National Research Council of Italy (company)
- University of Edinburgh (company)
- ORCA Hub (other)
- Marmote (product)
- Protos (product)
- Limpet (product)
- IIT (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [363: Squishy Nature](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-02-26-363-squishy-nature) (Embedded.fm)
- [222. Tree-Climbing and Reef-Restoring Robots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-06-17-222-tree-climbing-and-reef-restoring-robots) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [365: Barbed Wire Fence and Great WiFi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-03-12-365-barbed-wire-fence-and-great-wifi) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep084: Awful Floppy Disk Music, Robot Climbs Walls, An Undersea Lab, Inside a Digital Pregnancy Test](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-09-11-ep084-awful-floppy-disk-music-robot-climbs-walls-an-undersea-lab-inside-a-digita) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [282: Tin Can Through a Wet Noodle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-03-21-282-tin-can-through-a-wet-noodle) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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