Page 68: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2012)

Sea gliders are winged vessels that travel by using computer controlled changes in buoy- ancy to descend and ascend, ß ying through the water along programmed paths. In re- cent years, sea going gliders have completed thousands of missions in every ocean, from equator to both poles, even operating under the ice for months. Gliders have crossed the Atlantic and two years ago a Seaglider, de- signed by Professor Charles Eriksen at the University of Washington set an endurance record of nearly 10 months, simultaneously collecting 7 different ocean parameters in the Gulf of Alaska from surface to 1000 m depths. Initially gliders were mostly used for oceanography and climate research, and to survey parameters of military importance to Navy planners. More recently, deep div- ing sea gliders are proving that not only are they technically robust and reliable, but they provide economic value for companies seek- ing to develop the oceanÕs resources, and to governments charged with protecting the ocean environment on modest budgets. Not only are Seagliders inexpensive compared to ships, they are portable and require modest logistical support as they can be deployed from a craft as small as a Þ shing boat. Once deployed gliders are piloted by shore-based personnel thousands of km away using an Internet cloud based web site, with no need for food and sleeping berths. Operating for months, sending back the data they collect multiple times a day via digital satellites, Seagliders can perform their mission regard- less of prevailing surface weather conditions and only have to be return to port when their onboard batteries are low. 8 Crosby Drive 8 Crosby Drive Bedford, MA 01730 Bedford, MA 01730 Tel: 781-430-3000 Tel: 781-430-3000 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.irobot.com www.irobot.com ?iRobot designs and ?iRobot designs and builds robots that builds robots that make a difference. make a difference. iRobot?s govern- iRobot?s govern- ment and industrial ment and industrial robots provide en- robots provide en- hanced situational hanced situational awareness and awareness and increased mission increased mission success on the land success on the land and in the water.? and in the water.? IROBOT IROBOT 68 MTRJuly/August 2012 MTR #6 (66-80).indd 68MTR #6 (66-80).indd 688/3/2012 10:55:38 AM8/3/2012 10:55:38 AM