Solar-Powered Autonomous Underwater Vehicles 102
sunhou writes "A couple of months ago, researchers tested a solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (SAUV) at RPI's Darrin Fresh Water Institute. (More pictures and links to info available at the Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute.) Current autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) need to be taken out of the water often to have their batteries recharged. The goal is to have groups of cooperating SAUVs loaded with sensors and networking equipment deployed on long-term monitoring missions. Watch out Sky-Net, here comes Sea-Net! (See also the recent story about The Argo Project.)"
Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:1)
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:2)
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:2)
but that's the kind of thing one would know if you were during the fall at anywhere where it snows.
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:1)
well... (Score:1)
Not to mention... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Not to mention... (Score:2)
Re:Not to mention... (Score:2)
IIRC, the sub had to be pretty close to the surface and/or deploy a floating antenna in order to receive the transmissions anyway. This with a transmitter that was what, a megawatt or so? Nowadays supposedly t
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:2)
Probably not. Countries only have a few hundred miles or so off their coasts that they can rape for resources, which is only a small fraction of the world's oceans. The rest is international waters and international treaty, for the most part, makes it difficult or impossible to harvest resources there. See http://www.luf.org/artisle.html [luf.org] for more info.
Re:Perhaps someone should tell them (Score:2)
There missions must not go very deep. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:1)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:3, Informative)
When you reach the depth you want, pump the ballast out (or use electrolysis to make gas?) and slowly rise to the surface, again gliding slowly upwards.
With the yo-yo glider technique, you can cover huge areas.
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:2)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:1)
If you use electrolysis on water, then you get a highly explosive gas mixture of Oxygen and Hydrogen.
To reduce buoyancy you need to either eject the gas. If you use a valve, it could clog and also be a possible ignition source. If you burn it, you it would have to be at a controlled rate, or you sink quickly.
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:2)
But then, I don't have a degree in engineering or thermal dynamics, so maybe I'm missing some finer points.
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:1)
In biology, we see analogy, or the convergence of organism's appendages and structures due to similar environmental pressures. A quick example is the likeness of a sharks fin and a penguins 'fin,' (they are most certainly not homologous structures). With that said, I feel we must em
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:2)
You know, just in case.
Re:There missions must not go very deep. (Score:1)
Seriously, why is that comment insightful? Will I get modded up the next time an article on solar farms goes up if I question the decision to build the farm in a location where sometimes it's not daytime?
All jokes aside (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:All jokes aside (Score:4, Funny)
(Mod -3 off-topic, overrated, troll)
Re:All jokes aside (Score:1)
However, the post from some other user saying the same thing is modded +5 funny.
Good times.
Re:All jokes aside (Score:2)
Re:All jokes aside (Score:1)
~Maquis
Re:All jokes aside (Score:2)
But the Vehicle used by the NUWC people is a REMUS [whoi.edu], from th Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) [whoi.edu], which does all sorts of oceanographic monitoring.
How can I misread one stupid word? (Score:2, Funny)
Drug Smugglers (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:1)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:1)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:1)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
Another way is via thermal signature. Subs with those nice, hot, nuclear reactors tend to leave a trail of slightly warmer water.
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
-Your Friends to the South
Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
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Re:Drug Smugglers (Score:2)
Autonomous? (Score:4, Funny)
Well, then they're not exactly autonomous, are they?
Re:Autonomous? (Score:2)
Wouldn't that be a SPUV ?
Re:Autonomous? (Score:2, Interesting)
I've built a few subersibles to do lake-bottom surveys in New England that were basically glorified radio-controlled cars, and from what I understand that's basically how the Titanic-exploring bots worked. There's been some absolutely fascinating talk about building an army of small subs like the ones in this story that can survey automatically, giving us -- fina
Delivery vehicles (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course, then there is the problem of a shark or other large animal running into the cable (hopefully, if it is remote controlled, it will
Re:Delivery vehicles (Score:1)
Not to mention, wires are just a bad idea.
ME:
Put your money where your mouth is and unplug your computer
Re:Delivery vehicles (Score:1)
Nuclear Energy! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Nuclear Energy! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Nuclear Energy! (Score:1)
Re:Nuclear Energy! (Score:1)
Re:Nuclear Energy! (Score:1)
The really cool auv (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The really cool auv (Score:1)
Re:The really cool auv (Score:1)
Yes. We here at C Corp. call ours a Wale(tm)(c). (Score:1)
Uh-oh (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Uh-oh (Score:2)
i think i know why it's autonomous (Score:1)
so YES, they ARE (or might be) autonomous...
buoyancy power! (Score:5, Interesting)
(null) (Score:1)
When it charges back up, kick into full gear and go kick some more deepwater-glow-in-the-dark-space-robot-extreme godzilla ass or whatever...
We must harness the power of THE SUN to defeat deepwater-glow-in-the-dark-space-robot-extreme godzilla!!!!!! Uh, shit, I'm a dumbass...
Anyhow, that seems to mak
Re:(null) (Score:1)
That's because it's both obvious and makes sense.
I'm a total dumbass, though, so feel free to point and laugh.
That, too, is both obvious and makes sense. Consider it done.
KFG
Underwear (Score:1, Redundant)
Re:Underwear (Score:1)
Catching these (Score:4, Funny)
I can see nerds getting involved in the outdoors once again, bringing a whole new meaning to "phishing" - rigging up Zodiacs with networked fishfinder arrays and catching for themselves the latest in autonomous underwater robot technology.
Hell, I'd steal one.
I could slap Linux on it, make its hostname a Douglas Adams character, and brag on a mailing list somewhere.
Re:Catching these (Score:1)
Myself, I'm going to wait until the researchers notice the fleet's numbers are increasing without any new deployments. When the original units mysteriously stop communicating with their satellite uplinks, it will be open season on the buggers.
Re:Catching these (Score:1)
Shh.. (Score:2, Funny)
alternative to solar.. uh... water power? (Score:2, Interesting)
Tasks for underwater robotic vehicles (Score:1)