Scientists at California State University, Long Beach are developing a semi-autonomous robot to detect sharks near Southern California beaches ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The project is intended to give lifeguards quicker, real-time information, helping them protect athletes and beachgoers while avoiding unnecessary beach closures.

The robot is expected to listen for tagged great white sharks and test water for environmental DNA left by sharks. The university’s Shark Lab has tracked hundreds of juvenile sharks since 2018, but its wider monitoring programme faces funding pressure despite Olympic water events being planned in Long Beach and San Clemente.