A mini robot that can scan 50 metres deep into the earth, called “Arturito”, is said to have discovered the 18th-century buried treasure on the Juan Fernández island, home to Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish adventurer immortalised by Daniel Defoe as Robinson Crusoe. The island lies 660 kilometres from the coast of Chile.

The Chilean company responsible for developing Arturito, Wagner Technologies, announced that the robot had found the booty by probing 15 metres below ground. The company plans to start excavating as soon as permits can be obtained.

By some estimates the haul would include 800 barrels of gold ingots, silver pieces, gems and other riches worth up to $10 billion. The announcement has already sparked a dispute over who could claim the treasure, with the Chilean government suggesting it would have full rights.

Arturito has previously helped Chilean police locate buried weapons using ground-penetrating radar. GPR, or georadar, locates subsurface objects or structures by emitting microwave-frequency electromagnetic radiation and measuring the reflected signal, which is then represented as a 2 or 3D image.

Via New Scientist and The Guardian. Pictures from La Cuarta and El Mercurio.