Underwater gliders
MonsieurEvil
Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 4Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 4Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">Friday's are boring</div><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/CuttingEdge/cuttingedge021011.html" target="_blank">Researchers Create Underwater 'Glider' Robots</a>
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->As the vessel dives, a small motor pushed the bank of batteries slightly forward, shifting it into a nose down attitude. The water that rushes over the "wings" of the glider pushes the craft forward as it falls through the water.
Once it reaches a pre-determined depth, the process is reversed and the Seaglider begins to rise. As it goes up, the wings continue to give the Seaglider forward momentum, pushing it further along through the water.
To change from a straight-line course, the batteries are rolled from side to side inside the hull. The shift in weight causes the glider to "bank" and turn like an airplane.
The glider travels in this vertical up-and-down "sawtooth" pattern and navigates to its programmed destination using compass readings and "dead reckoning" — figuring out where it is based on how fast it's traveled since its last fix from the GPS satellites.
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Interesting stuff. One version of it can go for 4 years straight before needing equipment replaced. Great for low-cost underwater research projects, or spying on the commies.
<!--EDIT|MonsieurEvil|Oct. 11 2002,14:44-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->As the vessel dives, a small motor pushed the bank of batteries slightly forward, shifting it into a nose down attitude. The water that rushes over the "wings" of the glider pushes the craft forward as it falls through the water.
Once it reaches a pre-determined depth, the process is reversed and the Seaglider begins to rise. As it goes up, the wings continue to give the Seaglider forward momentum, pushing it further along through the water.
To change from a straight-line course, the batteries are rolled from side to side inside the hull. The shift in weight causes the glider to "bank" and turn like an airplane.
The glider travels in this vertical up-and-down "sawtooth" pattern and navigates to its programmed destination using compass readings and "dead reckoning" — figuring out where it is based on how fast it's traveled since its last fix from the GPS satellites.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Interesting stuff. One version of it can go for 4 years straight before needing equipment replaced. Great for low-cost underwater research projects, or spying on the commies.
<!--EDIT|MonsieurEvil|Oct. 11 2002,14:44-->
Comments
Wow, that would be usefull for spying on... commies.
Now, only if they could make cookies AND spy on communists...