Webcast: Next-Generation Oceanographic Research at MBARI
Liquid Robotics — December 6, 2016
If you ever want to get inspired by what’s happening at the cutting edge of ocean science and technology, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is a great place to start.
Founded by David Packard in 1987, MBARI seeks to develop and apply new methods, instruments, and systems to long-standing problems in ocean science. As their collection of ocean vehicles and robots has grown, they faced a new challenge: how to improve coordination and communication between surface and subsea vehicles and access data from these systems in real-time.
Graham Hine and I recently got together with Brian Kieft, a software engineer at MBARI, to discuss one of the payloads they’ve developed for the Wave Glider, the hotspot. This hotspot has enabled several useful applications that allow the Wave Glider to coordinate activity or gather data from other ocean robots and sensors.
In this webcast, you’ll learn how MBARI is using Wave Gliders to:
- Locate and track underwater assets more efficiently and without a ship
- Act as a communications relay, allowing other platforms or underwater assets to transfer data quickly and get back to work
- Chase submerged autonomous underwater vehicle (AUVs) for in situ analysis of a drifting water mass
