SV2 Waveglider launched
The video shows the launch of the SV2 Waveglider. The Wavegliders, being deployed as part of the project, are autonomous, environmentally-powered ocean-going vehicles, developed by Liquid Robotics. They are fitted with surface and sub-surface sensors to gather information such as water temperature and the atmospheric conditions above, such as wind speed. Each is roughly the size of a surf board and is equipped with computers for navigation and a satellite communication system.
Wavegliders can travel great distances and are able to monitor both the environment and marine life for weeks at a time. Clean and green, they use energy from the ocean and move quietly through the water, which improves acoustic monitoring.
Innovative technology such as Wavegliders is at the heart of this ambitious project to explore a large, dynamic area of ocean using hi-tech robots. This is the first time such a large fleet of robots has explored the ocean so far offshore, focusing on big long-term science.