1
POPSRobots under the ocean
"We are tapping a virtually unlimited energy source for propulsion," said Dave Fratantoni of the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOi). Steve McPhail, an expert in autonomous underwater vehicles at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton said the machine would not totally do-away with batteries. "You still need to provide power for the sensors, for the data-logging system and for the satellite communications system to get the data back," he said. As a result, the vehicle would have to return to a ship or shore intermittently to recharge it's batteries. "It's always a trade off between the power used for the propulsion system and the power used for the sensors." The eventual aim of the project is to deploy a fleet of vehicles to study much larger flows in the North Atlantic. "Gliders can be put to work on tasks that humans wouldn't want to do or cannot do because of time and cost concerns," said Dr Fratantoni. "They can work around the clock in all weather conditi
4
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update