Gliders Go for Record

On Thursday, 17th November 2011, in San Francisco Bay, USA, Liquid Robotics launched four Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider ocean robots on a record-setting journey across the Pacific Ocean, the longest distance ever attempted by an unmanned ocean vehicle. In 300 days, the surface gliders are to travel 25,000 miles and collect 2,250,000 discrete data points. 

 

The purpose of this voyage is to foster new scientific discoveries in ocean science by making available vast amounts of ocean data collected and transmitted globally during the Wave Gliders' yearlong journey. 

 

The gliders are equipped with a Seabird GPCDT with dissolved oxygen sensor; Datawell MOSE-G directional wave sensor; Airmar PB200 weather station and Turner Designs C3 submersible Fluorometer to take the measurements.

Throughout their journey, the Wave Gliders will build data sets on salinity, water temperature, waves, weather, fluorescence, and dissolved oxygen. This data will be provided free of charge and in real-time, to the world's scientists, educators, students, and the general public. Liquid Robotics is making this data available to anyone who registers on the dedicated website. Virtually join this mission to bring new oceanic research to the scientific community by visiting the Ocean Showcase on the Google Earth website or access the Wave Glider data on the Liquid Robotics PacX website.