ieee spectrum (Friday, November 18, 2011) | "Liquid Robotics' Wave Gliders Begin Historic Swim Across Pacific" by Tekla Perry (http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/liquid-robotics-wave-gliders-begin-historic-swim-across-pacific)
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.
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fspectrum.ieee.org%2Fimg%2Fliquid%2520robotics%2520wave%2520glider%2520underwater-1321671777424.jpg&hash=694ff1bae5ff230e760c4d6a9e0d8d2ce91fbc2f)
Image: Liquid Robotics
It might be fun to have one of these critters, but they cost around $200,000 apiece.
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!
Neat! :)
Pix that show more of the fins:
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fventurebeat.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F11%2Fwave-glider-interior-e1321582106299.jpg%3Fw%3D640%26amp%3Bamp%3Bh%3D400&hash=37741f89f8621b40483e402384a1fc12c184e974)
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greentechmedia.com%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Fliquid_robotics_0011.jpg&hash=548132e70d8eac8f997bc985b1167e43896e3ecc)
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.
That is very neat! Stuff like this makes me like humanity.