With a name like Waldo, you'd think scientists would expect it would go missing eventually.
That's exactly what happened Monday when the $100,000 underwater robot disappeared off the Gulf of Mexico and stopped sending a signal to its makers at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.
But Waldo is back from his mini-vacation. Scientists aren't sure why Waldo went offline or where it went. They believe the robot traveled to the bottom of the gulf all on its own.
What robot wouldn't go AWOL after spending endless hours searching for red tide?
Maybe Waldo circled around to Cancun to catch some rays and sip a little tequila? Maybe there was a swine flu outbreak and Waldo was taking a sick break.
Either way, the bot found its way back to the surface and started sending back signals again. Conspiracy theorists might say this is a signal that A.I. is evolving and SkyNet will soon rule the world (cue Terminator music ).
Mote researcher Gary Kirkpatrick says Waldo is back at the laboratory where scientists are sifting through a considerable amount of data Waldo collected. No word on if the bot is grounded.
