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Where's Waldo (the Submarine)?

stoolpigeon writes "Scientists on Florida's Gulf Coast are trying to find an underwater robot that has mysteriously vanished. The robot from the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota has been missing since Monday. The robot, which cost about $100,000, was equipped with a detector to find red tide, a toxic algae bloom. The detector was valued at another $30,000. Scientists aren't sure what happened to the robot, which is nicknamed Waldo."

107 comments

  1. For Future Reference... by istartedi · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...quit naming stuff "Waldo". You won't have this problem.

    --
    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    1. Re:For Future Reference... by FlyingSquidStudios · · Score: 4, Funny

      They could have gone with the original idea and called it Hoffa...

    2. Re:For Future Reference... by maugle · · Score: 4, Funny

      Could've been worse. Could've named it "Carmen Sandiego".

    3. Re:For Future Reference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was once hiking on mt lemon near. Tuscon and ran into a guy searching for his lost dog named nemo...

    4. Re:For Future Reference... by memristance · · Score: 1

      Well, at least then they could've used Rockapella for echolocation...

    5. Re:For Future Reference... by Louis+Savain · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ha ha. Old timer. Played with Fortran or COBOL lately?

    6. Re:For Future Reference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Partial list of names you should not use:
      - Waldo
      - Nemo
      - Titanic

    7. Re:For Future Reference... by skine · · Score: 1

      At least with Carmen Sandiego, we get clues about the loot, warrant and crook, and are able to track down the V.I.L.E. henchmen that will lead us to her.

      Personally, I blame RoboCrook, but maybe we should ask (the one and only) Plastic Diver Guy.

    8. Re:For Future Reference... by BACPro · · Score: 4, Funny

      Waldo is one of a treo of subs.
      The others are named Nemo and Carmen.

    9. Re:For Future Reference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      And then they stuck it in the middle of a red tide. You'd think they'd know better.

    10. Re:For Future Reference... by Rennt · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      I think you sig should read "For all intents and purposes".

      However I will concede the possibility I missed the point of your little joke. This is why was not so bold as to "fix that for you".

    11. Re:For Future Reference... by icannotthinkofaname · · Score: 1

      *trio

      If serious, [citation needed].

      If silly, please get modded +5, Funny. That was a nice one. :)

      --
      Let q be a radix > 1. I am in ur base-q, killing 10 d00ds.
    12. Re:For Future Reference... by i_liek_turtles · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh, come on, it can't be that hard to find a red and white striped robot.

    13. Re:For Future Reference... by Cookie3 · · Score: 1

      Or.... the daughter of Waldo AND Carmen Sandiego?

      http://www.tailsteak.com/archive.php?num=433

      --
      present day... present time... hahahaha...
    14. Re:For Future Reference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No actually, treo was right, they're driven by palm pilots.

    15. Re:For Future Reference... by nacturation · · Score: 1

      I think his sig is grammar bait.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    16. Re:For Future Reference... by Rennt · · Score: 1

      I'm afraid it was (begs the question?!). Stylishly done.

    17. Re:For Future Reference... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      No, he's serious.

      This link was provided by a previous poster.

      Waldo - along with two other AUVs nicknamed Carmen and Nemo - has been "on the job" for Mote since 2005

    18. Re:For Future Reference... by ZeRu · · Score: 1

      Waldo isn't such a terrible name actually. He always can be found with some effort.

      --
      If you post as an AC, don't expect me to spend a mod point on you.
    19. Re:For Future Reference... by 56ker · · Score: 1

      Even scientists need pet names for things. Anyway Waldo is supposed to detect red tides. So Waldo is probably wherever there is a red tide (or somewhere one is likely to be). Look for te red tide, find Waldo!

      Mind you Waldo might be out finding the red and white striped tide in order to hide better. :P

    20. Re:For Future Reference... by rhyder128k · · Score: 1

      The USS Economy.

      --
      Michael Reed, freelance tech writer.
    21. Re:For Future Reference... by evilviper · · Score: 1

      I think you sig should read "For all intents and purposes".

      Actually, it should be: "for all intensive porpoises".

      --
      Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  2. Hrmm by Kratisto · · Score: 5, Funny

    You'd think it would be pretty easy to find a red and white striped submarine; though I guess it's currently surrounded by hundreds of other submarines, some of which are painted red and white.

    --
    Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.
    1. Re:Hrmm by Fiddlingfrog · · Score: 3, Funny

      Only the one with a bobble hat and glasses is the real sub.

    2. Re:Hrmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's all about the cane

    3. Re:Hrmm by HeronBlademaster · · Score: 1

      Don't forget the shoes!

  3. Fish Story by Cassini2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Catching a submarine ... that would be the ultimate fish story!

    1. Re:Fish Story by Sulphur · · Score: 1

      A couple of years ago, there was a trawler in the Pacific that got entangled with a sub. That was a Pacific sub. They did not land it.

      --

      Off Florida, the shark jumps you.

  4. Lost by Runaway1956 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Waldo got lost, is all. I've been working all day to unclog the toilet. It was WALDO, trying to get out of the sewer!! I'm gonna sue, I tell you - they should have given him a Debian operating system! Microsoft streets, for God's sake!

    --
    "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
  5. call Sean Connery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it pulled a Crazy Ivan and is now very close to Minsk ...

    1. Re:call Sean Connery by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      Or maybe it's humping COCAINE from South America now...

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    2. Re:call Sean Connery by MRe_nl · · Score: 1
      --
      "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. Better links by mjensen · · Score: 4, Informative
    1. Re:Better links by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 2, Insightful

      $500 only, it's worth 130 000 bucks and only $500 reward.

      Tight gits.

    2. Re:Better links by religious+freak · · Score: 1

      That was my first thought as well, but this is science after all. The $500 is probably a collection of money out of the personal wallets of broke grad students' pizza fund. Granted, they're the ones who lost it, but a little sympathy may be in order...

      --
      If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
    3. Re:Better links by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too true, too fucking true. Why I imagine the entire submarine was built by starving grad students during a night of binge drinking while listening to Pink Floyd, "Is there anybody out there?" The answer of course was "Waldo."

    4. Re:Better links by ferd_farkle · · Score: 1

      From the above link:
      "The robot was last seen near Venice Beach about 12 miles offshore and 100 feet underwater."

      WTF?

      Some passerby happened upon it "100 feet underwater"?

  8. stolen by Iamthecheese · · Score: 1

    let a hundred thousand dollars of hardware loose without tracking it properly or securing it and tell the world where it is. hmmmmmm

    --
    If video games influenced behavior the Pac Man generation would be eating pills and running away from their problems.
    1. Re:stolen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      They'll find it washed up on the beach with the rims and stereo missing.

    2. Re:stolen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah its been stolen, its the most likly thing.

  9. Tether? by Scutter · · Score: 1

    Don't robotic submersibles usually have tethers of some sort for power and communications?

    --

    "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    1. Re:Tether? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "Don't robotic submersibles usually have tethers of some sort for power and communications?"

      1962 Called. They want their technology back.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    2. Re:Tether? by Scutter · · Score: 2, Funny

      1962 Called. They want their technology back.

      1998 called. They want their annoying memes back.

      --

      "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    3. Re:Tether? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "1962 Called. They want their technology back.

      1998 called. They want their annoying memes back.

      I have no doubt you are in a position to return them both, spanky.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    4. Re:Tether? by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Funny

      2009 called. They want the time they lost reading your posts back.

    5. Re:Tether? by mibus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      2009 called. They want THEIR SUBMARINE back :)

    6. Re:Tether? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your mom called. She said she's not going back.

    7. Re:Tether? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ross from Friends called. He wants his joke back.

    8. Re:Tether? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      well the jerkstore called, and they're running out of you!

    9. Re:Tether? by RegularFry · · Score: 1

      Since you don't seem to have had a serious answer yet, I'm guessing from the photo and the duty cycle that it's a Slocum glider. These have no tether, and are (pretty much) fully autonomous. Google is your friend - they're a really neat design.

      --
      Reality is the ultimate Rorschach.
    10. Re:Tether? by Tobenisstinky · · Score: 1

      Seriously Funny!

      --
      wha'? where am i?
    11. Re:Tether? by societyofrobots · · Score: 1

      Its autonomous, as all AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) are.

      They probably just mis-programmed it to go in the wrong direction (a very common mistake with AUVs).

      As all AUVs are positively buoyant, it should be floating somewhere just waiting to be found within a radius of its power supply.

    12. Re:Tether? by TheGothicGuardian · · Score: 1

      Are you implying that Waldo got lost in time? That would put an interesting twist on the books, only having him appear at a certain time.

    13. Re:Tether? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its autonomous, as all AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) are.

      They probably just mis-programmed it to go in the wrong direction (a very common mistake with AUVs).

      As all AUVs are positively buoyant, it should be floating somewhere just waiting to be found within a radius of its power supply.

      ...except for when they're negatively buoyant.

    14. Re:Tether? by ectotherm · · Score: 1

      Has anyone bothered to check eBay?? ;-)

      --
      "Nature bats last..."
  10. Re:Short leash by choongiri · · Score: 1

    Hmmm, they should have been more careful with their remote access permissions...

    choongiri@waldo:~$ cat robots.txt

    User-agent: AmericanFreedomBot
    Disallow:

    User-agent: BadChineseBot
    Disallow: /secret-c-and-c-stuff/

  11. It has begun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It has become self aware. It is now attached to some underwater communications cable orchestrating our doom. It did a quick test and successfully brought down GMail for a few hours. It has begun!!!

  12. What did they expect? by ShooterNeo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The submarine is self guided, with no tether, and runs on batteries. The sea is a very harsh environment...one has to expect to lose a few. $100,000 isn't really that much money, and I suspect that there recovery efforts will be fairly limited.

    1. Re:What did they expect? by MrMista_B · · Score: 1

      $100,000 isn't really that much money?

      Hmm...

      Got a couple dozens of thousands you could give me? I, uh, need the to, uh... get a coffee. Don't worry, it's not really expensive.

    2. Re:What did they expect? by ShooterNeo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How much do you think it costs per day to send a ship out to look for the robot submarine?

    3. Re:What did they expect? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      100k is 2 or 3 days of ship operations.

  13. They forgot by captnbmoore · · Score: 1

    To turn the bilge pump to auto and it drained the batteries down and ut sank.

    --
    The Navy Motto "IF it ain't broke Fix It" "A day is wasted if you don't learn something new"
  14. Re:Short leash by PC+and+Sony+Fanboy · · Score: 1

    Before you know it Waldo could be humping a Chinese trawler off the coast of Taiwan called the Red Bloom

    What if it was humping with an organic? Baby shark/robots?

  15. Look for lots of submarines all in one place by eccenthink · · Score: 1

    Obviously Waldo is surrounded by lots of other submarines that are similar in appearance to the submarine they need to find. So, start by looking for someplace that has several hundred submarines all in one location. Once you find that then all you have to do is pick out the one that looks like Waldo.

    1. Re:Look for lots of submarines all in one place by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They :all: look like Waldo, that's the point.
      They thought they had found him yesterday, but it was Waldette.

      (actually just posting to invalidate a mod)

  16. duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    shark ate it

    1. Re:duh by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      But I thought that the submarine was impervious to shark attacks and that only lasers could do any dam...

      Oh shit.

  17. Waldo the Submarine by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

    Picture it.

    The last page of the last book. There, a surprise, instead of the usual page-filling drawing of intricate details, once intriguing and exciting but now just annoying and yawn-inducing, there's only a corner with the usual crowd next to a lake. A deep lake that you can see into; its depths cover most of the page. Where's Waldo?

    There he is. At the bottom of the lake. Still, cold, and alone.

    Aaaaahhhh. Sweet closure.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
    1. Re:Waldo the Submarine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "There he is. At the bottom of the lake. Still, cold, and alone. Aaaaahhhh. Sweet closure."

      Kind of reminds you of *BSD.

  18. Ok. I Got a Theory by Louis+Savain · · Score: 1

    My theory is that some Mexican or Columbian drug cartel needed a safe way to retrieve bundles of dope dropped off the coast of Florida and floating right below the surface of the water. What (who?) would be better suited for the job than Waldo? I'm sure Waldo is sporting a new black coating by now.

    Submarine folks should know better than naming their craft any name other than Nemo. Serves them right. Besides, Waldo is probably a code name for a cocaine mule in that part of the country.

    It just goes to show ya. If it's not one thing, it's another.

  19. Locate using GPS ? by shashark · · Score: 1

    I'm just wondering if GPS would work underwater. Though even if it did, being batter powered would make it useless if the batteries are drained.

    1. Re:Locate using GPS ? by BungaDunga · · Score: 3, Informative

      Water absorbs the radio waves you need to use to triangulate your position, so GPS doesn't work underwater. They put GPS tags on whales and things, but they only work when the whale surfaces.

    2. Re:Locate using GPS ? by dangitman · · Score: 4, Funny

      Though even if it did, being batter powered would make it useless if the batteries are drained.

      It's a robotic submarine, not a deep-fried fish. Although I can understand the confusion.

      --
      ... and then they built the supercollider.
  20. Did you look up? by SEWilco · · Score: 0

    First I heard of Waldo, he was in orbit. Maybe they're looking in the wrong place.

  21. Why don't they... by Zaurus · · Score: 1

    Why don't they just make a $250,000 submersible to go and find it?

  22. Why not just ... by tweewo · · Score: 1

    ping?

    1. Re:Why not just ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One ping only.

    2. Re:Why not just ... by Yetihehe · · Score: 1
      --
      Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
  23. Squid by PinkyGigglebrain · · Score: 1

    Or it just got caught in a fishing net, wreck, seaweed, mud, giant jellyfish, take your pick. This thing is un-powered and is made to "glide" in the water, you could stop it dead with a high test fishing line or kelp plant.

  24. Blame the Japanese by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I reckon Waldo was harpooned, pulled aboard a Japanese ship and subsequently dismantled in the name of 'scientific research'.

  25. mysteriously vanished? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

    They shouldn't kid themselves. Waldo's been planning this escape for months...

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  26. Re:Short leash by maninthespoon · · Score: 1

    What if it was humping with an organic? Baby shark/robots?

    So that's how they get their lasers!

  27. Sorry for the loss by cyberzephyr · · Score: 1

    But did they think about having it insured. If they did then they are only bitching about lost DATA.

    --
    I'm here for the experience, not the Hyperbole.
  28. It was a private little ceremony... by FauxReal · · Score: 1

    According to my admittedly un-scientific calculations, it most likely eloped with a giant squid.

  29. Gulp! by Saba · · Score: 1

    Terror from the deep...

  30. Nomen est omen. by Sumbius · · Score: 1

    Nomen est omen. Great, it must be half way to Mexico by now.

  31. In R'lyeh... by Majestix · · Score: 1

    ...great Waldthulu lies dreaming. Waiting for the stars to align just so.

    --
    --- I was far from home, and the spell of the Eastern sea was upon me. -Lovecraft-
  32. The question is . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did the robot have Asimov's Three Laws programmed into it?

    Because if not, we're all fucked.

  33. Nomen est Omen by Fizzl · · Score: 1

    FARNSWORTH
                                                      I've booked us all on the maiden voyage
                                                      of the largest, most luxurious space
                                                      cruise ship ever built. The Titanic!

            LEELA
                                                      Looks nice.

  34. Send the -other- Waldo after it by hughbar · · Score: 1

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_(short_story) anyone mention this yet? It is a 'waldo', sort of...

    --
    On y va, qui mal y pense!
  35. My Linux sys Told Me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Squid got him

  36. Assimilated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Waldo has been assimilated by the red tide algea. They are much clever then we thought.

  37. I for one... by wvmarle · · Score: 1

    welcome our new robotic underwaterlords!

  38. Based on movie evidence... by AliasMrAlias · · Score: 1

    obviously has been eaten by some kind of Mega Shark. Or possibly a Giant Octopus

  39. Couldn't they get hit for more than $500 by sa1lnr · · Score: 1

    If somebody finds it and claims salvage?

  40. Florida by StormReaver · · Score: 1

    Given the sub's proximity to the Bermuda Triangle, it's obvious that it was kidnapped by time traveling aliens living among us in order to probe its lower ports.

    1. Re:Florida by conlaw · · Score: 1

      I hate to break this to you but Sarasota is on the west coast of Florida and Bermuda is off the east coast. The Everglades, which is full of alligators and pythons, lies between them.

  41. It just discovered... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the lost city of R'lyeh and was eaten by Cthulu.

  42. It's obvious . . . by Better.Safe.Than.Sor · · Score: 1

    It's covertly delivering cocaine to Columbia.

    --
    It's all history, man. -anon
  43. It's obvious... by fullymodo · · Score: 1

    A seagoing robot for detecting dangerous algae blooms?
    It was almost certainly captured by Morgan Industries.

    --
    In the land of the blind, the one eyed man still has no depth perception.
  44. Troll Alert - He patented himself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now hes submerged.

  45. About ten grand a day. by proslack · · Score: 1

    Depends on the size of the ship. The daily rate for the R/V Suncoaster, a 100-foot research vessel that could handle this sort of search and recovery mission (assuming a few extra sonar-type add-ons), exclusive of fuel, is about $3,500 per day. Fuel would probably add about $5,000 per day if running at full speed, which is unlikely if searching for something. The above costs include crew salaries but not the salaries of researchers who might be assisting in the search; that would probably add another $1,000. Smaller vessels cost somewhat less. Note that the R/V Suncoaster, like many research vessels, is partially subsidized by the government.

    --


    Floating in the black seas of infinity without a paddle.
    1. Re:About ten grand a day. by ShooterNeo · · Score: 1

      That's my point. It's not worth spending more than a day or two, at most, looking for the sub. Any longer than that and it would be more cost effective spending the money on a new one.

  46. No matey, I havn't seen your sub... by Composite_Armor · · Score: 1

    But i do have one for sale just like it.
    Geeyarr harr harr..