Eco Factor: Battery-powered underwater glider tracks the effects of climate change in inhospitable locations.
Designed to track the effects of climate change in the most inhospitable locations around the world, the Scarlet Knight is about to become the first underwater glider that will cross the Atlantic. The Scarlet Knight is expected to arrive in Spain after being released from New Jersey in April.
With no propeller, the Scarlet Knight gets powered by a small piston that alters its internal pressure, which causes it to dive or rise. The designers claim that the 60kg underwater glider runs on the power of about three Christmas lights and its battery can run for up to a year.
The Scarlet Knight is equipped with sensors to track changes in ocean temperature and currents under the surface. Oceans have a significant influence on the planet’s climate, but monitoring these changes in inhospitable areas such as North Atlantic and near the melting polar ice caps has been a problem.
The Scarlet Knight’s transatlantic voyage would start a new generation of gliders that help monitor climate change in a better fashion, which can help politicians make more informed decisions.
Via: Guardian
