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The Hawaiian Autonomous Undersea Robot
Roland Piquepaille writes "After several years of research, engineers from the University of Hawaii are now testing the first autonomous robotic vehicle for deep-ocean work in the U.S. This robot is called SAUVIM, short for Semi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Intervention Missions. It's roughly the size of an SUV and it is designed to operate to a depth of about 4 miles. With its computers, its sensors, and a 5-foot, 150-pound autonomous manipulator, or robotic arm, it will be able to move towards a specific target, such as a wrecked pipe laying on the ocean floor -- and maybe fix it. Right now, this robot has an autonomy of about eight hours, but this range should soon be extended when the researchers move from batteries to fuel cells to power the undersea vehicle. This overview contains other details, references and several pictures of this autonomous submarine engine."
Over 8 hours of power for something the size of an SUV? And we don't have these for cars because?
When are fuel cells coming? We've been hearing about them since ages. It's about time they appear.
This space for rent.
4 miles... that is slightly over 20,000 feet?
What is crush depth for subs?
I wonder if the next generation of war subs will not have any people, but will be robots. To think, wars fought and decided 20,000 feet under the sea, but by robots, no people.
Our world leaders could have their wars, and we would never know!
There is another cool use for this robot. I bet if they keep going deeper in the water, and learn how to make robots that can withstand greater pressure, when NASA decides to make probes for planets with higher gravity of pressure, they can use this data in creating their probes. Maybe these robots will be the great grand fathers of robots that go to jupiter or saturn.
Rosco: "If brains were gunpowder, Enos couldn't blow his nose."
Naaa... think robot bodys.
10 years - 5x your own strength.
You can either have xray vision; or xray vision blocking.
If you're lucking you could become an Adrian Barbeau-bot with chainsaws for hands!!!!!!
PROPS TO THE CAPTIN AND QUINN!