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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron (RAD) is a research sampler that folds around delicate underwater animals so researchers can capture and release them. In reported trials, its team collected moon jellyfish in an aquarium and captured squid and jellyfish with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at 500–700 meters (1,600–2,300 feet), then released them without harm. Those results describe specific trials, not a guarantee that the device is harmless in every situation.
How the RAD sampler works
RAD stands for Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron. The original device has five identical, 3-D-printed polymer petals connected by rotating joints. A single motor supplies torque where the petals meet, and the geometry of the joints guides the petals as they fold into a hollow, twelve-sided enclosure. The mechanism is origami-inspired, but it is built from linked rigid components—not paper.
Rather than grasping an animal with a conventional claw, the sampler closes an enclosure around it. This lets a research team capture a fragile animal in the water while limiting direct handling. The original device was operated on an ROV using its manipulator arm and a human-controlled joystick.
What the trials showed
Aquarium tests
The team first tested the RAD at Mystic Aquarium, where it successfully collected moon jellyfish underwater and released them. The aquarium work preceded modifications for open-ocean conditions.
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ROV field captures
Researchers later mounted the modified sampler on MBARI’s ROV Ventana. In field trials at depths of 500–700 meters (1,600–2,300 feet), the team reported capturing squid and jellyfish in their natural habitats and releasing them without harm. The reported depth range is specific to those original ROV trials, as described by the Harvard Gazette and the University of Rhode Island.
These accounts do not establish an injury rate, compare RAD with other capture methods under controlled conditions, or show that every species can be captured safely. The result should therefore be understood as what the team reported for its trials—not as proof of universal harm-free operation.
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What RAD is—and is not—designed to do
The original sampler is useful for enclosing an animal underwater, but it is not necessarily a way to bring a whole animal back to the surface. In a 2018 account, University of Rhode Island ocean engineer Brennan Phillips said it “isn’t very good at bringing a whole animal back up to the surface,” while describing its ability to surround a delicate animal quickly. That limitation matters because in-situ capture and intact retrieval are different research goals.
- Enclose and release: The original RAD’s reported trials focused on capturing animals in the water and releasing them.
- Collect tissue and preserve it at depth: A later device, RAD-2, was used for this research purpose.
- Retrieve an intact animal: The cited accounts do not present the original RAD as a reliable whole-animal retrieval solution.
How RAD-2 expanded the research use
In a January 2024 account, Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences described a research mission involving RAD-2, a later origami-inspired robotic encapsulation device. The team used it to collect animal tissue and preserve that tissue at depth. This was a later research application, not evidence that the device is commercially available.
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The mission also paired sampling with imaging in the animals’ natural environment. MBARI’s DeepPIV laser-scanning imaging system and EyeRIS 3-D lightfield camera supported measurements and reconstruction of body shape. The Harvard SEAS account reports that four animals sampled at depths of almost 4,000 feet were included in genomic analysis attributed to lead author John Burns of Bigelow Laboratory. It also describes a mission observation in which high-resolution 3-D images showed a tiny jellyfish with tentacles measured at 5 millimeters; that figure is an observation from that mission, not a typical measurement for a species.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the device available to buy?
The cited accounts describe RAD and RAD-2 as researcher-operated equipment used in scientific missions. They do not establish a consumer product, retail price, or commercial release. For now, the devices are best understood as research tools for studying and sampling delicate marine life.
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