Video: This Mermaid Robot Can Swim Better Than You

Claude Paris/AP

It helps that this robot doesn't need a snorkel.

Ocean One, a humanoid robot developed by Stanford University, has the ability to swim, float and manipulate objects in the ocean depths.

But why build a sea-faring robot to look like a human, and not a fish or another creature more suited to the water?

It turns out, a humanoid robot is easier for a human to pilot. The Ocean One system has controls that use haptic feedback, allowing the driver to feel what the mermaid robot feels while working under the sea.

To see the mermaid bot in action, check out the video below from Wired