PHOTOS: The Mind-Blowing, Floating, Unmanned Scientific Laboratory

Wave Gliders are about to make scientific exploration a lot cheaper and safer

  • By Joseph Stromberg
  • Smithsonian magazine, May 2013
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Wave Glider Wave Glider Wave Glider
Wave Glider

(Liquid Robotics )


The Papa Mau is one of 200 autonomous research vessels called Wave Gliders, manufactured by Liquid Robotics. The 200-pound craft sports an unusual two-part design. The “float” is covered with solar panels and houses the onboard computer and navigation system. The “sub,” attached by a 20-foot cable, is fitted with a series of paddles that harness vertical wave motion to flap like bird wings. Powered by the sea and sun, the glider can collect scientific data uninterrupted for up to a year.

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