The makers of an origami-inspired robot calim it can identify new marine species 'in minutes'.

A team led by URI Professor Brennan Phillips has developed the robot which they say is capable of identifying marine animals within minutes of encountering them.

The ease of marine exploration has been significantly enhanced through the team's innovation in underwater imaging, robotics, and genomic sequencing.

Footage shows the robot capturing detailed measurements, motion, entire genomes, and gene expressions. It creates a digital 'cybertype' within minutes by securely holding the animal with its hand.

The discovery of new species could take up to 21 years before a new invention emerged to streamline exploration.

Professor Phillips said: 'We're rewriting the rules of deep-sea exploration.'

This leap in efficiency not only accelerates scientific discovery but also addresses the urgent need for compassionate collection methods, minimizing harm to delicate creatures.

The findings emphasise the urgency of understanding and preserving our oceans. Funded by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, this mission unveils a new frontier in marine biology.

With successful expeditions off the coasts of Hawaii and San Diego, the team gathered a treasure trove of preserved tissue samples and terabytes of quantitative digital imagery.

The discoveries include the first complete transcriptome of Pegea tunicate and intricate details of a holoplanktonic Tomopteris polychaete. The research has broad implications, from aiding extinction prevention studies to providing a lifeline for yet-to-be-identified deep-sea species.

Published in Science Advances, the research represents a five-year collaboration between experts from URI, Harvard University, MBARI, and more.