Slashdot Mirror
Boat Moves Without an Engine Or Sails
coondoggie writes "Researchers say technology they have developed would let boats or small aquatic robots glide through the water without the need for an engine, sails or paddles.
A University of Pittsburgh research team has designed a propulsion system that uses the natural surface tension that is present on the water's surface and an electric pulse to move the boat or robot, researchers said. The Pitt system has no moving parts and the low-energy electrode that emits the pulse could be powered by batteries, radio waves, or solar power, researchers said in a statement."
commonly known as 'drifting'
How effective is it at killing Manatees, hobo's of the sea?
I refuse to use any sort of boat that doesn't maim or injure an endangered species. That's just the kind of forward thinking person I am.
In this case, it should be "does it run in Linux". (The answer is no. The surface tension is too low. The kernel mailing list tension, on the other hand, would be perfect.)
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Boat Moves Without an Engine Or Sails
the vikings fixed this problem long ago.
Those of us who think they know everything annoy those of us who do.
It's even lower energy!
Raising the rear end of a RORO ship or passenger cruiser a millimetre or two isn't going to have much of an effect, methinks.
RORORO your ship,
Gently down a slope,
Surface tension's far too weak,
The whole idea is broke.