Thursday, 6 March 2014

World's Most Advanced Diving Suit Could Lead to a Cure for Cancer

Phil Nuytten's newest diving suit may as well have been invented by Tony Stark. At six and a half feet long, and weighing 530 pounds, the aluminum contraption looks more like a Buzz Lightyear ripoff than anything.

Even its name, the "Exosuit," sounds like slang from a science fiction novel.

It's a first-of-its-kind design that lets deep sea divers plunge more than 1,000 feet underwater, all the while maintaing surface level pressure. The state-of-the-art rotary joints throughout the arms and legs allow divers extreme flexibility and finesse, as well — apparently, enough to pick up a dime.

This July, researchers are using the suit to study bioluminescent organisms deep within the Atlantic Ocean. Due to their extreme depths, the creatures were previously only attainable via remote instruments or trawl nets. Now, scientists will be able to use the Exosuit and observe them up close in their natural habitats.

The ultimate goal is to collect the organisms' unique, fluorescent proteins and use them in future studies about cancer detection, spinal cord injuries and the overall makeup of the human brain.

Cousteau says the upcoming fieldwork in July is only the beginning of great scientific advancements. In addition to the bioluminescent research, he says, the Exosuit has big potential for helping divers shoot underwater documentary films and discovering new species. Marine and biology education for the next generation could be drastically changed.

"This is a dream come true for divers and marine scientists everywhere," he says. "It's opening a door to a new layer of the ocean. We can only imagine what we'll find."