Wave and Solar-Powered Robot Receives $22 Million in Funding
Posted By Timon Singh On June 11, 2011 @ 9:00 am In green technology,News,Solar Power | 2 Comments
The Wave Glider [4] is a solar and wave-powered [5] robot designed by Liquid Robotics [6] to serve as a platform for ocean observation, data collection, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The project has just been awarded $22 million in Series D financing, which will go to further its development as it begins to explore the ocean blue.
The Wave Glider is powered by solar energy [7] as well as the up-and-down motion of waves. By sourcing all the energy it needs from its environment, the robot “can travel to a distant area, collect and transmit data in real-time [via satellite or short-range radio], and then return for maintenance without ever requiring a ship to leave port.”
The submerged glider can hit a speed of two knots as it travels the ocean for scientific purposes, offshore oil and gas exploration, and for a variety of national security uses.
Liquid Robotics said it is currently testing the glider for use in a variety of scenarios, including conducting scientific research for the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration [8] and several premier oceanographic facilities such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [9], the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute [10], Scripps Institution of Oceanography [11], and the University of Hawaii.
Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com
URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/wave-and-solar-powered-robot-receives-22-million-in-funding/
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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/wave-and-solar-powered-robot-receives-22-million-in-funding/
[4] Wave Glider: http://liquidr.com/
[5] wave-powered: http://inhabitat.com/wave-hub-the-worlds-largest-wave-energy-site/
[6] Liquid Robotics: http://inhabitat.comliquidr.com
[7] solar energy: http://inhabitat.com/premier-solar-powered-blimp-set-to-fly-across-english-channel/
[8] National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov/
[9] Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: http://www.whoi.edu/
[10] Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: http://www.mbari.org/
[11] Scripps Institution of Oceanography: http://inhabitat.comscripps.ucsd.edu/
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