Rutgers Attempts Robot Atlantic Crossing

RUCOOL writes "Rutgers University students and staff launched a Slocum glider AUV in an attempt to be the first such vehicle to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Progress so far is good, but it will be a long 6- to 9-month journey. Status as well as other information can be tracked here. Media links can be found in the lower left section of page, among images, and storyline blogs." And Google Earth fans can track the vehicle's progress, too.

Comments

In Other News...

[BJ_Covert_Action]

The U.S. Navy has developed autonomous long range torpedo technology. In a completely unrelated article, Rutgers students announce that they have lost all contact with their AUV and have offered no explanation as to why....

Re:In Other News...

[grcumb]

The U.S. Navy has developed autonomous long range torpedo technology. In a completely unrelated article, Rutgers students announce that they have lost all contact with their AUV and have offered no explanation as to why....

"It was worth the risk," said Rutgers spokesman. "No price is too high if it finally gets us out of New Jersey."

Xcom

[sakdoctor]

When I saw the google earth map, I had this overwhelming urge to send out subs to intercept it.

Re:Xcom

[Anonymous Coward]

http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/about_gliders.html

Arrrrrr...

[liquidsunshine]

I bet it gets intercepted by pirates. Watch the parts end up on eBay in 6-9 months.

Better Headline

[offrdbandit]

In First Autonomous Act, Robot Flees New Jersey

Re:Scarlet Knight

[vertinox]

Its the universities mascot.

Slocum

[inKubus]

It'll be much better when they invent the "Fastcum" glider. That will probably drop the trip down to 1 month instead of 6-9.

Robots!

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1175

Re:6-9 months?

[B1oodAnge1]

We will soon be exiting the Gulf Stream which means things will start to move a lot slower and many more challenges will be thrust upon us.

from http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/

also see here for an explanation of how it moves:
http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/about_gliders.html

What about a payload?

[Colin Smith]

Y'know, like a few kg of coke.

 

Re tasking

[FatdogHaiku]

The small relative cost and the ability to operate multiple vehicles with minimal personnel and infrastructure will enable small fleets of gliders to study and map the dynamic (temporal and spatial) features of subsurface coastal waters around the clock and around the calendar.

The small relative cost and the ability to operate multiple vehicles with minimal personnel and infrastructure will enable large fleets of gliders to transport many small loads of contraband through coastal waters around the clock and around the calendar.

Re:Re tasking

[Phurd Phlegm]

They're not entirely subtle. If spotted (and if you're using them for contraband, they will be spotted) it wouldn't be hard at all to a) follow them back to the recipient or b) shoot them down.

You do understand that they operate underwater, right? Mostly, stuff that's underwater is kind of hard to see and even harder to "shoot down."

Re:Re tasking

[R3d M3rcury]

You do understand the United States has had a very significant interest in underwater vehicles approaching it's shores, right?

Indeed they do. But I'd imagine these things are pretty quiet.

FTFA:

[...] underwater gliders move around by changing their buoyancy, that is they change their density such that they alternate between more dense and less dense than the surrounding ocean water. This change in buoyancy causes the glider to rise and sink in the ocean. The glider changes its density by moving a small piston forward and back that increases and decreases its volume. You may remember that you can calculate the density of an object by taking its mass and dividing that by the object's volume. Since the mass of the glider remains constant, all we need to do is change its volume. A small change in volume (about a half cup of water) is all the glider needs to change its density enough to rise and sink in the ocean.

I would imagine these things are pretty quiet. Run them about 50 feet underwater and I doubt the government would be able to hear them.

Who owns it?

[the_other_chewey]

I remember discussions around similar projects that all have a common problem: In international waters,
unmanned seacraft or floating objects are considered flotsam and belong to whoever gets on board or fishes
it out of the water.

Now what happens if somebody helpfully "recovers" this craft and claims a reward for his good deed?

Re:Robotic 'Firsts'

[Chris Burke]

First robot to intentionally kill a human.

First robot to kill a hundred humans.

First robot to single handedly wipe out an entire city of humans.

First robot to kill a human while fueled entirely by the corpses of previous humans it killed.

The list goes on and on!

Re:Google Earth Fans Weep

[drinkypoo]

Your intel video chip makes the Baby Jesus cry. Are you using a janky netbook, or just a difference engine? Abacus perhaps?