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A New Algorithm Could Protect Ships From 'Rogue Waves' (cio.com)

itwbennett writes: MIT researchers have developed a tool they say can predict so-called rogue waves, giant waves that seem to appear out of nowhere and can cause devastation to ships unlucky enough to be struck by them. The researchers found that certain wave groups end up 'focusing' or exchanging energy in a way that eventually leads to a rogue wave. The tool they developed uses an algorithm that sifts through data from surrounding waves and computes a probability that a particular wave group will turn into a rogue wave within the next few minutes.

6 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Rogue waves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Beware of well wishers that do not know anyone on the boat as it leaves.
    This causes great confusion. Legitimate wavers are overlooked as passengers divert their gaze to the rogue and miss a last chance farewell.

  2. English Is Difficult by sexconker · · Score: 2

    Wreck? Rude?
    Wreak. Ride.

    Aside from your atrocious spelling, your facts are false and misleading. Not all ships are large enough to withstand 10 meter waves. No ship can "deal with any storm the ocean can throw at it". The size of the wave makes a big difference, regardless of slope. If a large wave crests and comes down on you you're fucked. It a large wave hits you at a bad angle, you're fucked.

  3. Re:The next few minutes? by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Informative

    Depends on the wave and the ship, but just turning the ship so it faces directly into the wave can be sufficient to greatly mitigate damage in a lot of cases. Being hit by an unexpected large wave broadside is typically worse than hitting it head-on, especially by reducing the risk of capsizing.

    That's actually been successfully done at least once even with current technology: the captain of a cruise ship in 1998 spotted a 90-foot (27-meter) rogue wave on radar, and turned the ship to face it head-on, avoiding serious damage.

  4. Re:Nautical Drone Network by serbanp · · Score: 2

    Rogue waves travel fast, the one they've actually recorded was doing 45mph. They also can appear from a direction different from the prevailing swell. To cover a perimeter large enough to give advance warning (10 minutes?), you need a lot of drones.

  5. Re:how exactly new? by KGIII · · Score: 2

    It appears that this is a new algorithm, that's the terminology. Regardless of any audio history, the algorithm wasn't known prior. It is now known. Thus, we call it new.

    In my humble opinion, it's not new. It has always been there. It has just been uncovered, discovered, inferred, revealed, or whatever. The algorithm doesn't care if we know about it or not. It just exists. However, that's a rather long-winded way to express it and will likely confuse the folks on the short bus. So, "new" is gonna have to do unless you want really long-winded/verbose press-releases.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  6. Re:It Won't Help by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    Side of a ship: long and vertical.

    Bow (that's the front): Narrow and pointy.

    It makes a difference where you get hit. Have you ever even seen a boat, let alone been in one?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."