Liquid Robotics’ new Wave Glider model will make even more use of the sun.
The Wave Glider is an unmanned marine vehicle (UMV) used as an ocean exploration, research and monitoring device and is equipped with a variety of sensors.
The UMV has proved its mettle in a variety of conditions, including surviving a direct hit from Hurricane Isaac and a unit battled through Hurricane Sandy; transmitting weather data in real time during the event.
Last year, a Wave Glider named “Papa Mau” completed a 16,668 kilometre scientific journey across the Pacific Ocean to the east coast of Australia and set a new world record for the longest distance travelled by an autonomous vehicle.
Up until now, the Wave Glider’s solar panels have been used to supply power for the electronic equipment it carries. Propulsion has been provided entirely by a submerged glider with wing-shaped panels that converts wave motion into forward thrust.
A few weeks back, Liquid Robotics announced the introduction of the Wave Glider SV3, the world’s first hybrid wave and solar propelled unmanned ocean robot.
“The Wave Glider SV3 can tap into the inexhaustible supply of the planet’s wave and solar energy, travel tens of thousands of miles, collect data in the most demanding sea states/conditions (doldrums, high currents, hurricanes/cyclones) and deliver this data in real-time to users around the globe,” states a press release from the company.
Other enhancements in the Wave Glider SV3 are datacenter@sea, adaptable power and energy storage providing support for power-intensive sensors and the introduction of an adaptable operating system designed for intelligent autonomy for fleet operations.
The SV3 is significantly larger than its predecessor, measuring 290cm x 67cm; compared to the SV2’s dimensions of 201cm x 60cm.
More recently, Liquid Robotics was named the 2013 Gold Medal winner for innovation in Power Generation and Utilization.
