Robot Crosses Pacific Ocean For The First Time

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Liquid Robotics said that its WaveGlider has become the first autonomous device to cross the pacific Ocean and has set a world record for the longest distance covered by an autonomous vehicle.

The "Papa Mau" Wave Glider traveled 9,000 nautical miles and "weathered gale force storms, fended off sharks, spent more than 365 days at sea, skirted around the Great Barrier Reef, and finally battled and surfed the East Australian Current (EAC) to reach his final destination in Hervey Bay near Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia."

During its journey, the wave-powered glider collected and transmitted more than 4 million data points documenting ocean life. Liquid Robotics said that it is making the data available as open source and is offering a $50,000 prize for the best way how to utilize the data. Among the measurements were more than 1,200 miles of a chlorophyll bloom along the Equatorial Pacific, Liquid Robotics said.

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Wolfgang Gruener
6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bitmaiden
    It's strange that such a "simple" motion generator is not exploited in more instances
    Reply
  • john_doe_anonymous
    BP, the exclusive oil and gas industry supporter of the PacX Challenge, and Liquid Robotics have established a two-part grand prize that will be awarded to the person(s) whose research “best represents the spirit of exploration and discovery embodied by this journey”.
    WTF?
    Reply
  • Marcus52
    bitmaidenIt's strange that such a "simple" motion generator is not exploited in more instances
    Come up with some specific plans about how to do whatever you are thinking could be done and submit them; maybe you'll win that $50K. :)
    Reply
  • COLGeek
    Similar technology is being used in small projects around the world to generate electricity from wave movement. This is very clever work. Good job!!!
    Reply
  • WhyFi
    Marcus52Come up with some specific plans about how to do whatever you are thinking could be done and submit them; maybe you'll win that $50K.
    The subject of the contest is the creative usage of the 4 million data points collected w/r/t ocean life, not the generator mechanism.
    Reply
  • robochump
    I thought this had something to do with the new Pacific Rim movie...lol.
    Reply