A new type of underwater robot could be better at tracking marine organisms and measuring the physical and chemical properties of the ocean than previous robot designs. The vehicle, called Tethys and developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California, compensates for the shortcomings of current robots by merging their best qualities into one unit.For decades, researchers have used underwater vehicles to study the biological processes and physical characteristics of the ocean. But such work has been constrained because there were only two types of underwater robots: gliders and propeller-driven vehicles. A glider drifts very slowly through the ocean, using a buoyancy system for propulsion. Its low speed makes it vulnerable to tides and currents, which can knock it off course. It also has a small payload capacity, but high endurance, so it can remain at sea for months at a time. In contrast, propeller-driven vehicles can zoom through the ocean like torpedoes. They can be up to 10 times the size of gliders, but they can remain at sea only for about 24 hours.
To read the full, original article click on this link: A Hybrid Underwater Robot - Technology Review
Author: Brittany Sauser
