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Solar-Powered Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Posted by timothy on from the seanet dept.

sunhou writes "A couple of months ago, researchers tested a solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (SAUV) at RPI's Darrin Fresh Water Institute. (More pictures and links to info available at the Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute.) Current autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) need to be taken out of the water often to have their batteries recharged. The goal is to have groups of cooperating SAUVs loaded with sensors and networking equipment deployed on long-term monitoring missions. Watch out Sky-Net, here comes Sea-Net! (See also the recent story about The Argo Project.)"

8 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Perhaps someone should tell them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That it's dark underwater.

    1. Re:Perhaps someone should tell them by 4-D4Y · · Score: 3, Funny

      It would be economically beneficial to mine the ocean floor. It may be more useful to have mining vehicles transduce heat from their surroundings into electricity. This would give mankind incentive to destroy otherwise prisitine deep sea vents.

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      A-Day
  2. How can I misread one stupid word? by gardyloo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anyone else see that as "Solar-Powered Autonomous Underwear Vehicles"? 'cause, at least for me, that's talking about a spot where the sun don't normally shine...

  3. Re:All jokes aside by mark-t · · Score: 3, Funny
    Actually, This person is.

    (Mod -3 off-topic, overrated, troll)

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    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  4. Autonomous? by TooMuchEspressoGuy · · Score: 4, Funny
    "Current autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) need to be taken out of the water often to have their batteries recharged."

    Well, then they're not exactly autonomous, are they?

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    Many Bothans died to bring you this sig.
  5. Uh-oh by Dekks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just don't let captain Murphy get his hands on it...

  6. Catching these by wooby · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can see nerds getting involved in the outdoors once again, bringing a whole new meaning to "phishing" - rigging up Zodiacs with networked fishfinder arrays and catching for themselves the latest in autonomous underwater robot technology.

    Hell, I'd steal one.

    I could slap Linux on it, make its hostname a Douglas Adams character, and brag on a mailing list somewhere.

  7. Shh.. by kristopher · · Score: 2, Funny

    It actually runs on the pent up sexual angst of slashdot users.