Sailing drones displace research vessels

Saildrone: Sailing drones displace research vessels

Autonomous ships called Saildrones, it is a bright red trimaran with a sail that resembles a vertical surfboard. The sails are 20 feet high, made of carbon fiber, and equipped with 16 sensors that test variables including carbon dioxide, acidity, currents and water temperature.

Saildrone Is a California-based project that raised $ 14 million in investment last September. Their sailing drones cruise slowly at 3-5 miles per hour and do the job normally reserved for exploration vessels, only more economically. V Saildrone argue that the difference in operating cost of their sailing drones is reduced by 95% compared to the maintenance of research vessels.

By using Saildrones, it became possible to collect data cost-effectively and autonomously, covering large areas of the ocean in all weather conditions. Fleet Saildrone is sent to its destination using wind power, then, upon arrival, each drone can hold a certain position, or conduct surveys that are most suitable for a specific research mission.

Data from the drone is transmitted back to shore via satellite and delivered to the client via an API. In addition, client access can be obtained on any computer, smartphone or tablet for processing and visualizing data in real time. When the drone finds something interesting, it can be reprogrammed to another task in real time to measure interesting functions with higher resolution.

Saildrone sailing drones displace research vessels

Saildrone manages all operations: From launching and searching to managing a fleet of sailing drones on busy sea routes, customers can only focus on research.

“In addition to significant commercial demand in industries from fishing to government projects, Saildrone helps to measure and thereby combat the effects of climate change, ”says Chamat Palihapitiya, founder and CEO Social Capitalwho invested in the project Saildrone.

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Saildrone Is not the only company making ocean drones. Liquid roboticsbought by the company Boeing, produces surfboards Wave gliderswhich are propelled by waves and solar energy rather than by wind. These boards are much smaller than sailing drones and have already covered over 1.4 million nautical miles.

Wave Gliders by Liquid Robotics

Wave Gliders by Liquid Robotics

Meanwhile, Saildrones have registered a more modest figure of 100,000 nautical miles since the company was founded in 2012. The company released 20 sailing drones this year for customers including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA).

In July NOAA sent two ocean drones on a six-month mission to the equator to study a weather phenomenon known as the current El Niño in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean, which has a noticeable effect on the climate. Two more sailing drones were sent to the Arctic Ocean to track the melting ice and count the local inhabitants - fish, seals and whales.

Saildrone sailing drones displace research vessels

Saildrone also works with NASA to calibrate satellites that measure salt levels; and with the US Navy to locate submarines that could be used to smuggle illegal drugs.

“The idea is that the fleet Saildrones can stay at sea essentially forever and expand some sort of border control, ”says CEO of Saildrone Sebastian de Hollix.

The company is continually working to integrate new features and extensions into Saildrone. Pursuit Saildrone Is to scale globally as quickly as possible.

“Our goal is to power a thousand sailing drones, and this will show us in real time and in high resolution, the pulse of our planet.”

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02.11.2017