Robot uncovers $10 billion treasure

Chilean robot "Arturito," who made his bones, literally, by finding a dead man's bones, has now taken on the decidedly less-altruistic task of treasure hunting. Seemingly little more than a modified metal detector, Arturito was unleashed on Chile's Robinson Crusoe island (pictured above) where he stumbled across about 600 barrels of buried gold coins and jewels, presumably looted from the Incans during the Spanish occupation. The hunters' lawyer estimates the treasure to be valued at around $10 billion (our lawyer tells us that Engadget has a similar valuation), and promises that it will be donated to non-profit organizations (although the Chilean government says you can't donate what you don't own; way to flex that eminent domain muscle, guys). Expect GoldenPalace to develop their own "treasurebot" that scours eBay for even more grilled cheese sandwiches, beat-up old cars, and celebrity pregnancy tests.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[christopher @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I love it. The treasure hunters should've kept quiet. Salvage rights only exist on the high seas.

-C

[h3rb1 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Nice find, too bad the robot can't use the money to take over the world now.

oh, and I need a picture of this robot "Arturito" sounds suspiciously like "R2D2"

BTW: Way to ruin the 2005 movie "Into the Blue" (with Jessica Alba), I was going to watch that.

[Dustin Tarditi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I'm sure Chile just wants to give the money back to the rightful owners: the Incas... oh, wait, there's a flaw in that plan...

[robert3 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

#2 h3rb1

I think that's what we called R2D2 in Spanish. I have some memories about that from my childhood.

[Julian Harris @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

'Arturito' FYI is a diminutive of 'Arturo' which is Arthur in Spanish... So the English equivalent could be 'Artie'...

[El Kabong @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

You know I never understand why these guys don't just STFU about it, now they'll be locked in legal battle for the next 20 years over it.

If it were me, I'd load what I could onto a boat, and get the F outta Dodge...

[Walter @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Holy macarony !!!!! A 10 billion find....... Who's gonna claim the movie rights ????

[Jomy Muttathil @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Roomba meet metal detector.

[Mux @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Where did you get that photo ? ... Robinson Crusoe island is not a tropical island !!

[aprodite @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

#7 While Robinson Crusoe Island may not be tropical, if I found a 10 Billion $ stash, I'd be lookig to buy my own tropical island.

While they may not get to keep the entire amount, they'll probably get a finders fee (10% ?) which should be enough to snag a small island somewhere. ;)

[leo prieto @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Haha.. that's definitely not Robinson Cruose island, and yes, "Arturito" is what they call "R2D2" in Spanish.

Do a Google Images search for "Juan Fernandez"

[pixel @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

yep, they grabbed the first hit in google, which is an island in Fiji:

http://www.robinsoncrusoeislandfiji.com/island.asp

The Chilean Robinson Crusoe island looks like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe_Island

http://www.chilediscover.com/robinsoncrusoe.htm

[Willy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I thought salvaging the RMS Republic was "the greatest treasure recovery of all time" (http://www.divester.com/2005/07/08/the-greatest-treasure-recovery-of-all-time/). Dang.

[Mike Davis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

holy crap, 10 billion?? I need a robot :(
http://www.meetoc.com/user/mikedavis

[C.S. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Actually, if you read the news closely all they've done is "find" an anomoly on their little machine's radar screen (so to speak). They've decided this blob must be the treasure and have already announced that they've found it. Of course, the blob is 15 METERS down which sounds an awfully long way for somebody to bury what is described as TONS of gold. Especially on an island. They've yet to begin excavation so until they actually dig it up, I profess disbelief. Here's a link: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8054

[Daydalaus @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Yes that's no way near Robinson Crusoe Island, and "Arturito" comes from the english pronunciation of R2D2 o r-to-di-too... wich over the years and the bad star wars movies came to be Arturito. C-3PO is also known as "citripio" from the english pronunciation too.

And belive me, i'm writing form Chile

[Peenie Wallie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Actually, that is a photo of Robinson Crusoe Island, just not the Robinson Crusoe island referred to in the story. It's a different Robinson Cruseo Island in Fiji. The Robinson Crusoe island off the coast of Chile was discovered in 1574 by Juan Fernandez, while sailing for the Spanish crown. Juan Fernandez named the island "Mas a Tierra" ("Closer to Land"). In the 1960's, a Uruguayan painter named Brum Elizaide that was living on the island convinced the president of Chile to rename the island to Robinson Crusoe Island, in honor of Daniel Defoe's classic book, published in London in 1719. Robinson Crusoe was inspired by the true story of Alexander Selkirk who was marooned alone on the island for 4 years and 4 months(from November of 1704 to February of 1709). In 1966, Don Eduardo Frei Montalva, the president of Chile at the time, renamed the island by official decree.

Arturito means "Little Arthur", but is commonly associated with R2-D2, the Star Wars robot. Some speculate that name "R2-D2" was originally derived from the Spanish word Arturito, although I've not seen anything to confirm this.

Arturito was developed by Manuel Saline for Wagner Industries in Chile, and is commonly described as a "robot" or a "robotito", however, a better description in English would probably be a "rover", as he is, in all probablity, controlled remotely and the data is presumably analyzed remotely as well. So, for these reasons, I'd say he's a rover, not a robot.

More information on the discovery here:
http://www.peeniewallie.com/2005/09/spanish_colonia.html

[Carlos Y?z @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Complementing Peenie Wallie's geographical info:
Robinson Crusoe island is part of Juan Fern?ez Archipelago. The other big island of this groups is named Alexander Selkirk (formely "M?Afuera").
The islands are Biosphere Reserve due the endemic plants and animal species.
During the the Indepence period known as Reconquista, the archipelago was used as confinment for reputed Chilean patriots.

[Ulrich Volkmann @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

The chilean newspaper El Mercurio, with the help of Physicists formed at the Catholic University of Chile UC ( http://www.uc.cl/ ), like Dr. Leopoldo Soto and professors of the UC (like Dr. Mario Favre, Dr. Marcelo Loewe and Dr. Ulrich Volkmann) helped to unmask the "robot" Arturito, showing that the numerous "scientific" explications, launched by the lawyer and the inventor of the chilean company Wagner Corp (or Wagner "Technology") can not work and that they have nothing to do with "new" science and new "Technology". The information was published on October 6, 2005 at Page A1 and A11 of El Mercurio. The paper version of El Mercurio on page A11 includes also a statement of the chilean Fiscal (Public prosecutor) Jose Luis Perez Calaf, taking off any contribution of "Arturito" on the discovering of the cadaver of the chilean business man Luis Francisco Yuraszeck ("Hallazgo cientifico nulo"). Same is true for the discovering of arms in the Ex Colonia Dignidad (see same page A11 de El Mercurio and El Mercurio of Sunday, October 2, 2005). You can find the complete information in the electronic version of El Mercurio at http://diario.elmercurio.com/2005/10/06/ciencia_y_tecnologia/ciencia_y_tecnologia/noticias/078EF302-4E09-4587-90CF-FCDCD18119C0.htm?id={078EF302-4E09-4587-90CF-FCDCD18119C0} . The photos and diagrams published in this link to El Mercurio show, that Arturito is manly a remote controlled (vehicle), similar to a toy car, equipped with a PC, videocam, microphone, UPS, and other well known components from a typical office PC.
For Physicists it is very easy to see that "Arturito" (or TR Arana = TR Spider) can not have the fantastic attributes assigned by his "inventors" and distributed, without further proof, by chilean journalists in well established newspapers, journals and on TV. The reason why the story of Arturito could survive and grow since July 2005 in the chilean news is the lack of Physicists in this country: In total work only 30 Experimental Physicists in Chile and less than 110 Theoretical Physicists. In other words: Less than 100 persons in Chile do really know about "Technology". Arturito proved this situation. Many people, who declare themselves and with the help of the local press as absolute top specialists in technology are totally blind without the guide of well prepared Physicists. The paper El Mercurio described this phenomena already on Saturday March 20, 2000 on page A10 (society): "Cuando la Ignorancia Reina": "Aquel que no sabe y no sabe que no sabe, es un tonto" (old chinese proverb).

[Forestalino @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

you must only (translate and) read this...

http://www.lun.com/ElDia//detalle_noticia.asp?cuerpo=701&seccion=801&subseccion=901&idnoticia=C386388558268171

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(a chilean guy)