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."

Comments

done something similar

[venkateshkumar99]

We did something similar but on a tiny scale when we were kids. Take a model boat hull and stick a small soap piece to it at the back such that at least some part of it sticks out below the water line. Place the whole thing in still water and the desolving soap provides the forward thrust for the hull. I believe this is due to the difference in surface tension of soap water and the surrounding water.

Surface Tension?

[bursch-X]

So basically, if you ever wanted to transport people with this, they'd have to be smaller than Lego figures? Move on, nothing to see here...