One reason why all this is taking time is that there are now up to 14 remotely operated underwater vehicles working around the well.

ECONOMIST: The Gulf oil spill

As the Legislature convenes again this year, I am working on helping to pass legislation that protects underwater homeowners.

WHITEHOUSE: Unite Here

Current applications for Superbot are being developed with space exploration in mind, but Shen said the technology could be usefully applied in any environment dangerous to humans such as for search and rescue tasks in mines or underwater -- although the laboratory is still working on a morphing robot capable of swimming.

CNN: Robotics discovers its soft side