Slashdot Mirror
4 Wave Gliders Begin Their Autonomous Pacific Crossing Attempt
In 2009, an autonomous ocean glider bobbed and dipped its way across the Atlantic; now, reader cylonlover writes with word that "Four small autonomous aquatic robots have embarked on a 60,000-kilometer (37,000-mile) journey across the Pacific ocean. The Wave Gliders, built by California-based Liquid Robotics, left San Francisco last Thursday." Two of the robot craft are to head to Australia, the other two to Japan. According to the IEEE description, "Waves will power their propulsion systems and the sun will power the sensors that will be measuring things like water salinity, temperature, clarity, and oxygen content; collecting weather data, and gathering information on wave features and currents."
Very impressive, considering that the diameter of the earth is only 12,750 KM.
across the Pacific? Hmmm, mayber 3700 miles.
For those of you just reading the summary, the solar panels exist to recharge the onboard batteries.
Battery capacity is more or less the reason there are major differences in price between Liquid Robotics various offerings.
There used to be a PDF on the website that showed their different models & specs, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Here is another maker of similar products.
http://www.webbresearch.com/
The company I work for, Rockland Scientific, designs sensors that can be attached to these subs. Some of them are rated for 6000m - kind of makes 600' look like a joke...
But another method of collecting data is to simply have floating sensors. Similar data is collected but there is no propulsion except for up and down. Every so often they surface and transmit their collected data. Then they go back down and continue drifting with the current. They are typically used in a disposable manner and only last 5 years. The advantage of these devices is that they are far less costly. It is also convenient to have them follow the ocean current. Around 1000 of these sensors are placed into the ocean each year. A french company makes them, wish I could remember the name.
I've been working on a CO2/pH monitoring system as a payload for these guys. Really cool stuff, I didn't RTFA but I heard this trip is a world record for longest autonomous ocean going voyage.
horror vacui
Java father James Gosling, who now heads up Liquid Robotics’ software operation: Liquid Robotics has “a technically interesting challenge, that could save the world, and is economically viable—these three things don’t come together that often.”