Humanoid & robot atlas
ABE (Autonomous Benthic Explorer)
Photo: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (official image), from whoi.edu. Image policy
RetiredSucceeded by Sentry United StatesFully autonomous

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution · underwater vehicle

ABE

Autonomous Benthic Explorer

A deep-diving AUV rated to 4,500 m that mapped lava flows and vent fields on its own, including multi-site missions from 2000. Its successor is Sentry.

Price
—Research vehicle, not sold
Autonomy
DriverlessHow it runs
Driverless
In serviceSince 1996
Fleet
1Reported; details below
Speed
—Not published
Range
—Not published
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Why it matters

In 2004 it autonomously found and located a hydrothermal vent by tracking chemical traces in its plume.

Real-world use

Completed 222 missions from 1996 until it was lost at about 3,000 m off Chile on 5 March 2010.

Timeline

First shown
1994
Released
Not yet
Developed at WHOI; first science dive 1996

Maker

Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionCompany

How it drives

Fleet and city figures move fast; each carries its date and who reported it.

Driverless status
Driverless in service
Where it runs
Juan de Fuca Ridge, East Pacific Rise, Chile triple junction and other mid-ocean ridges
Driverless since
1996
Fleet
1 (lost 2010)
Rides, miles or loads
222 research dives, 1995–2010; lost during its 222nd dive on March 5, 2010 (WHOI, 2010).

Public attention

A historic robot: no longer sold or in use, so it is not ranked against current vehicles.

  • No Wikipedia article of its own yet
  • No recent press stories listed yet

Measures how much people read and write about a robot, not how good it is. Measured 2026-10-13; same method for every robot. How it is measured

What’s inside

No component details published yet.

Movement
Other movement
How it runs
Fully autonomous. Does its job with nobody at the controls.

Lineage

Every Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution vehicle in order.

  1. ABE (Autonomous Benthic Explorer)ABE (Autonomous Benthic Explorer)1994Retired
  2. SentrySentry2006Research
  3. NereusNereus2009Retired

Made, sold and where

No production or sales figures published yet.

Price
Not publishedResearch vehicle, not sold
How to get one
No official buying page found

Sources

Figures come from press coverage. Every link below backs something on this page.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Pioneering Deep-Sea Robot Lost at Sea

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