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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."
It is funny when they say on the article:
"It will be able to move towards a specific target, such as a wrecked pipe laying on the ocean floor -- and maybe fix it."
This shows how robotics has been developed over the last years. Something like this:
"We must first build some robots to justify our budget. Once they're ready, we will worry about finding a good use to them to satisfy the market."
What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
another "Roland Piquepaille" story. please no one click on the second link in the summary as it is only there to make money for Roland Piquepaille. he is scum. his stupid blog is full of ads and popups and he sits all day trying to get stories approved on /. so people will go to his blog and in turn make money from the ads.
there is no reason to post the link to his blog in the summary.
You do know that Scotty passed away today, don't you?
Why do I have to learn that from CNN?
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
What fuel cells? 44 psi per 100 ft of depth, so at 20,000 ft that's 8800 psi. If it's gas, they won't be able to exhaust anything, if it's liquid fueled they might be able to push out the waste products. If they seal the fuel cell, feed it H2, and O2, then use a small positive displacement pump to get rid of the water, the pumping power is going to use most of the elceticity they just made. I am definitely curious now.
Since the underwater robot relies on a source of electricity, why not help it out by generating some electricity with the salt water it's submerged in? I don't know how much salt is contained in the water at those depths, but salt water batteries aren't huge, are completely passive and require little to no maintenance.
These robots would be all fine and dandy, until you consider that the average depth of the Atlantic is around 10,000 feet and the average depth of the Pacific is 13,000 feet. Robot subs to survive depths at 20,000 feet or greater would ne unnecessary. However, Las Angeles class attack submarines are rated down to only 2,000 feet. So robot subs could easily improve upon that. The problem would be commanding the robot subs. At any depth below a 100 feet (or even less), you can't effectively use any currently available communications technology. So the subs would have to be highly autonomous and have entire algorithms built for engaging targets. One false move and suddenly the robot is dead, or it accidently blows up a merchant ship on the surface.
And I'm sure there is no way in hell we would ever convert our nuclear missile subs to autonomous vehicles. One glitch and China no longer exists.