Four college students hailing from the United States of America and Spain have prepared an eight-foot-long autonomous boat, which they are going to induct into the sea soon. The students say that the autonomous boat they prepared is all set to sail over 3,000 miles from Rhode Island to Spain crossing Atlantic Ocean withstanding the extreme climatic conditions. 3000 miles isn’t a joke friends. So much of effort has gone into the making of the boat.
The body of the boat was prepared with a foam shell with carbon fiber and Kevlar coating. This is to ensure that it withstands the currents in the sea. The guys named the boar as Scout. It may be noted here that an autonomous sail boat named Pinta was launched (not by these students) last year and had sailed across Atlantic over 400 miles. But then it had lost its position and eventually stopped sending signals. The students, who prepared Scout are trying to make sure that their boat will not create such problems. That’s the reason why they are contacting many experts, who sail on Atlantic and also expert marine engineers since they know the pros and cons of sailing.
How does Scout run?
Scout is equipped with a GPS system and runs with the help of micro-controllers. Further, there’s a digital compass installed to it for navigation and tracking. The battery that Scout uses is solar-powered. With one charge, it will easily run sail up to 25 hours.
How much cost it took for preparation of boat?
Though the students have mentioned the specifications of Scout and its target, they are yet to reveal the expenditure they incurred in bringing out this autonomous boat. It may look petty but good amount of money was supposedly spent for making this boat. The digital compass, GPS system and stuff like that cost dearer. More than the cost, the efforts of the students is something that can’t be counted with money.
When will it be launched?
Scout is going to be launched sometime in June. The students are reportedly consulting marine engineers and sailors to seek advices from them. They have also been trying to raise funds of 2,500 USD. Not just these students, but all the sailors and marine engineers are awaiting the day of the launch of Scout. You can have a look at the video below.
Source: Cnet
