AUEs: Miniature Robots To Swarm The Oceans For Science

LiveScience:

Swarms of soup-can-sized robots will soon plunge into the ocean seeking data on poorly understood phenomena from currents to biology.

Read the whole story: LiveScience

Comments

[guinganbresil]

I wonder if they will notice that the pH of the ocean water drops from 8.3 at the surface to around 7.6 at 800 meters down.

Scaremongering of 'ocean acidification' can be attributed to the upwelling of deep ocean water - not atmospheric CO2...

[ohmetoo]

One of the commentators on the Life Science article asked the question, why put more into the oceans when we have 90 foot deep patches of plastic garbage twice the expanse of Texas floating around. Good question, perhaps we should clean up the patch before we add more into the ocean. But of course the bots are to help us learn how to help the ocean adapt to the garbage, and stay healthy even as we pollute it. Twisted logic?

[Spiky Kitten]

And when they become self aware?

[Chic Bowdrie]

Now that's what I'm talkin about. More research and a lot less hot air. Go bots.

[RMJ50]

This is really interesting technology. I had a similar idea some years ago - I had planned on letting high school and college science groups do the assembly and then track them as they drift in the ocean via a computer application. But got sick and couldn't pursue it.

One interesting thing - if they get lost, we will know where to find them - in the great garbage gyre in the pacific ;)

[liberalNmoderation]

Interesting...but I just hope nothin mistakes the robots for an easy meal.