Wave Glider sea robot gets a new version, replete with more power and gear

Wave Glider sea robot gets a new version, replete with more power and much more gear

The latest seafaring robot from Liquid Robotics got an unveiling this morning. Dubbed the Wave Glider SV3, the mobile, amphibious robot is targeted at the (thoroughly unexciting) usual suspects: big oil, the government, and scientific researchers. Apparently those halcyon days of seeking out Guinness World Records are over. Compared with the previous SV2 model, the latest ship runs faster (2.5 knots top speed), carries more (100 pounds, compared to a paltry 40 in the previous ship), and lasts longer (an additional 40 percent of surface area on the deck allows for many more solar cells). All that extra oomph should allow Liquid Robotics' customers to spend even more time plumbing the Earth's waters for ... well, whatever they'd like. And for the mock G.I. Joe battles that are assuredly taking place with the Wave Glider. Like, come on.

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Via: The New York Times

Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider breaks Guinness record, does it in the name of science

Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider breaks Guinness record, does it in the name of science

Last fall, four autonomous Wave Gliders set out from San Francisco Bay to begin a two-fold mission: gather data about the oceans' depths and break records. The vessels, crafted by ocean data services provider Liquid Robotics, were launched in pairs, with one set headed for Australia and the other, Japan. Now one year later, the first of this fuel-less flotilla -- dubbed Papa Mau -- has completed its intended journey, reaching the land of Oz this past November 20th and beating out the remaining three Gliders at sea (one of which malfunctioned and had to be pulled from the water).

As the PacX project's team is quick to point out, the culmination of this record-breaking 9,000 mile trek was less about gaining a Guinness entry and more about generating publicity for the mass of hitherto unrecorded oceanic information. But though the initial run of the project is currently winding down, the outfit's SVP of Product Management Graham Hine expects further trips to Antarctica, the poles and the Northwest passage will follow at some point in the future. Without a doubt, the whole experiment's a master class in using the power of PR for the greater good, while giving marine biologists a treasure trove of useful data. Check out the source below for an expanded look at the project's roots and be sure to skip past the break for a video of the vessel's retrieval.

Continue reading Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider breaks Guinness record, does it in the name of science

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Via: CNet

Source: Liquid Robotics

Autonomous Wave Glider bot launched to track sharks, beam real-time data to your iPhone and iPad

Autonomous Wave Glider bot launched to track sharks, beam real-time data to your iPhone and iPad

When they're not breaking world records, fuel-hating Wave Glider seabots like to indulge in other hobbies, like shark tracking. One of the vessels has just been launched off the coast near San Francisco (vid after the break), adding a mobile worker to the existing local network of buoy-mounted receivers. They monitor the movements of electronically tagged sea life, including the fearsome Great White, picking up signals within a 1,000-foot range while researchers from Stanford University analyze the data from the safety of the shore. Better still, the free Shark Net iOS app gives anyone the chance to track these things, and activity should increase as the monitoring network (hopefully) expands along the west coast and more bots are introduced. You didn't think the world's fascination sharks was limited to only a single single week, did you?

Continue reading Autonomous Wave Glider bot launched to track sharks, beam real-time data to your iPhone and iPad

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Autonomous Wave Glider bot launched to track sharks, beam real-time data to your iPhone and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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