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Piccard, Fontaine, Benjamin and Papa Mau Have Set Off to Voyage the Pacific

Started by Recusant, November 20, 2011, 09:19:36 AM

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Recusant

November 20, 2011, 09:19:36 AM
ieee spectrum (Friday, November 18, 2011) | "Liquid Robotics' Wave Gliders Begin Historic Swim Across Pacific" by Tekla Perry

QuoteYesterday, four Wave Gliders—self propelled robots, each about the size of a dolphin—left San Francisco for a 60,000 kilometer journey. Built by Liquid Robotics, the robots will travel together to Hawaii, then split into pairs, one pair heading to Japan, the other to Australia. 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. It's not going to be an easy journey—the little robots will face rough weather and have to dodge big ships.



Image: Liquid Robotics

It might be fun to have one of these critters, but they cost around $200,000 apiece.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken

Mr. Deity and the Consent

Tank

#1
November 20, 2011, 09:36:24 AM
What a brilliant bit of engineering. There is one apparent design flaw to my eye, I'm sure they have thought about this, they can become becalmed, just like a sailing ship. They don't appear to have a motor which could be poweredby their solar panels to drive them out of doldrums. I suppose it's possible that part of the research is to investigate this issue?

Excellent link!
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Pharaoh Cat

#2
November 20, 2011, 10:07:25 AM
Neat!  :)

Pix that show more of the fins:




"The Logic Elf rewards anyone who thinks logically."  (Jill)

Tank

#3
November 20, 2011, 10:22:30 AM
The fins are presumably spring loaded, hinged on their leading edge and connected to a heavy weight. This means as the 'boat' rises the paddles hinge down and as the boat drops they hinge up thus providing forward thrust. Very neat.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

DeterminedJuliet

#4
November 21, 2011, 03:30:36 PM
That is very neat! Stuff like this makes me like humanity.
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.
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