2008 Woodie Awards
Robot unearths buried treasure
Chilean officials and robot's owner wrangle of $10 billion booty
Erich Pilcher
Issue date: 10/13/05 Section: Feature
- Page 1 of 1
Most people remember growing up and hearing tales of pirates finding buried treasure and sailing off the port bow.
Those stories have come true - sort of.
Robinson Crusoe Island is a small, remote island off the cost of Chile. The island's name stems from the famous Daniel Defoe novel, based on a true story of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk's five-year abandonment and survival on the island.
According to legend, Spanish Navigator Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echiverria hid an 800-pound treasure on the island in 1715.
Nearly 300 years later, Wagner Technologies has built a robot called Arturito, or Little Arthur, that found the treasure by probing 15 feet below ground.
The treasure is estimated to be worth $10 billion and is said to include Incan statues, papal rings and gold doubloons among many other nuggets of value.
The Chilean government states the treasure is theirs. However, Wagner Industries stated that at least half the booty belongs to them - they want to donate it to non-profit organizations.
Wagner Industries is not the first group to try and find the treasure. The treasure's legend also says British explorer Cornelius Webb found and reburied some of the wealth elsewhere on the island.
"The exact location is not known and for the moment it's better that we don't know, otherwise everyone would be digging with picks and shovels," said island resident Mark Gonzalez Mayor, who added that the residents should get a share in the loot.
Those stories have come true - sort of.
Robinson Crusoe Island is a small, remote island off the cost of Chile. The island's name stems from the famous Daniel Defoe novel, based on a true story of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk's five-year abandonment and survival on the island.
According to legend, Spanish Navigator Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echiverria hid an 800-pound treasure on the island in 1715.
Nearly 300 years later, Wagner Technologies has built a robot called Arturito, or Little Arthur, that found the treasure by probing 15 feet below ground.
The treasure is estimated to be worth $10 billion and is said to include Incan statues, papal rings and gold doubloons among many other nuggets of value.
The Chilean government states the treasure is theirs. However, Wagner Industries stated that at least half the booty belongs to them - they want to donate it to non-profit organizations.
Wagner Industries is not the first group to try and find the treasure. The treasure's legend also says British explorer Cornelius Webb found and reburied some of the wealth elsewhere on the island.
"The exact location is not known and for the moment it's better that we don't know, otherwise everyone would be digging with picks and shovels," said island resident Mark Gonzalez Mayor, who added that the residents should get a share in the loot.