Robotic Boat Hits 1,000-Mile Mark In Transatlantic Crossing

toygeek writes "'Scout,' a 4-meter-long autonomous boat built by a group of young DIYers, is attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It is traveling from Rhode Island, where it launched on 24 August, to Spain, where all being well it will arrive in a few months' time. Scout has now gone about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of its planned 3,700-mile (5,900 kilometer) journey. Should it complete this voyage successfully, its passage will arguably belong in the history books."

Comments

Cargo size?

[OzPeter]

How much cocaine or heroin can you pack into one of these babies? I'm sure after trying their hand with human piloted semi-submersibles the cartels could be interested in autonomous vehicles.

After all if you can keeps the contents dry and keep the supply chain flowing it doesn't matter how long the transit time is.

Re:Cargo size?

[OzPeter]

They would need weaponized autonomous vehicles though. Otherwise the other drug runners would steal from them by capturing their autonomous vehicle.

I severely doubt it. Picture a very low profile boat with a camouflage paint job that pics its own random course between the start and finish waypoints. And with enough smarts to know not to broadcast its whereabouts or to accept instructions from random transmitters. They only way you could intercept something like that is to accidentally hit it.

Re:Cargo size?

[OzPeter]

The harder part would be hardening the computer/radio, for all radio signals are eventually found, and could likely be pinpointed.

You don't need to harden the computer/radio - all you need is code in computer the goes something like:

Am I near the start or end waypoint?
Yes - OK listen for instructions from sources that validate in my cryptographic code, but don't announce my location until instructed to.
No - Shut the radio down and run silent

Now lets generate 10 semi random way points and head towards them one by one.
Have I reached one of the computed waypoints?
    Is it the last computed waypoint?
        No - head for the next computed waypoint
        Yes - head for the end waypoint.

If the "opposition" knows where the start and end way points are, or know how to defeat your encryption then you have bigger problems that someone hijacking you cargo.

Saildrone

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out Saildrone at http://mstfoundation.org/story/Saildrone. I'm friends with the guys building these and they are pretty cool. The prototype made it half way to Hawaii from California before a broken sensor forced them to turn it around and have it sail back to San Francisco. I believe it did around 2500 miles in that trip

Re:History books?!?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Its not the first robot boat to attempt a transatlantic crossing. A load of attempts have been made by sailing boats in the Microtransat Challenge (www.microtransat.org), but none of them have got anywhere near 1000 miles yet.

Re:Their data is suspect....

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi Jane,
Just to answer a few questions of yours,

As for the inverted bow stem I recommend looking into modern sailing yacht design, put the buoyancy where is needed and reduce windage at the same time. In fact it tends to keep the bow from driving in too much and allows for easy resurfacing if the bow does punch in....see AC72 as well as any modern catamaran design...while SCOUT is not a sail boat or cat, similar design goal are in mind especially regarding windage.

2. We do have a bilge pump, there is an electronic water sensor that turns on the bilge pump once there is enough water inside.

3. We have flow channels (ie holes) in the bottom of each bulk head to allow water to move the lowest point in the hull, where the pick up for the bilge pump is.

We are happy to help answer any other questions you guys have!