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SYDNEY, Australia — A robotic wave glider has set a world record after a 9,000-nautical-mile journey from the San Francisco Bay to Australia.
The robot, called Papa Mau after a Micronesian navigator known for his unorthodox techniques, was one of four wave gliders that set off from San Francisco on Nov. 17, 2011. En route to Hervey Bay in Australia, it weathered gale-force storms, fended off sharks, and had to skirt the Great Barrier Reef and surf the East Australian Current, all while gathering scientific data on weather and ocean conditions for paid use.
At one point, Papa Mau traveled through 1200 miles of a chlorophyll bloom. The blooms, typically monitored through satellite imagery, indicate the presence of phytoplankton important to climate regulation and the survival of ocean life — but to be able to get high-resolution data on the blooms is "groundbreaking," according to Bill Vass with Liquid Robotics, the company behind Papa Mau.
Vass said the goal with the project was to both demonstrate the technology and collect and transmit ocean data. "Mission accomplished," he said.
The robot did not use fuel to make the crossing, instead converting wave energy into forward motion for its fins. Solar panels powered diagnostic instruments on the robot's body. One problem Papa Mau faced was long stretches of cloudy days that made it difficult to power the instruments. But despite the challenge, Papa Mau finished the journey in surprisingly good condition and with relatively few glitches along the way.
A second robot, called Benjamin, is expected to land in Australia in early 2013. Two other robots are headed for Japan, but one has had to turn back to Hawaii for repairs.
The hope is eventually the small, relatively inexpensive robots will take over in areas of oceanic research that would normally take large, crewed vessels months at sea to complete.
