Liquid Robotics has come up with satellite-controlled, unmanned vehicles for BP which will be used for near constant monitoring of the water quality at the Gulf of Mexico. The vehicles, known as Wave Gliders get their propulsion power from wave action and also use solar power to keep its electronics juiced. The Wave Gliders will be deployed immediately and will begin a months-long, ongoing research program in the Gulf of Mexico, providing BP with a steady stream of data about the water quality. The first two Wave Gliders will be deployed in the vicinity of the Macondo well, while a second pair will be deployed in September. The data that is collected will be relayed via a satellite connection and posted on a public website. Video after the jump.
|BP to use ‘Wave Glider’ for ongoing oil monitoring efforts|