Wave Glider

Men in hardhats and orange outfits stand on a boat holding onto white strings that are attached to long board-like robot covered in solar panels and multiple masts, which sits in the water.
Wave Glider gets launched. Photo: Liquid Robotics

The Wave Glider is an autonomous marine robot designed to gather ocean data. It uses the energy of the waves for propulsion and solar panels to generate power for on-board computing and sensors.

Creator

Liquid Robotics

Year
2007
Country
United States 🇺🇸
Categories
Features
How Wave Glider works. Video: Liquid Robotics

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Appearance

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Did you know?

Wave Glider began as a project listening to humpback whales in real-time off the coast of Hawaii.

Underwater view of panels attached to a rope hanging from board-like silhouette in the distance. The part in the water has six long horizontal fins on a vertical base.
The robot's three parts: surface float, tether, and sub. Photo: Liquid Robotics
Side view of copper board-like shape covered in solar panels that floats on the open water and has poles with cameras and sensors rising up.
The Wave Glider is packed with environmental sensors. Photo: Liquid Robotics

Specs

Overview

Capable of operating autonomously for months at a time without fuel. System composed of three parts: the float at the surface, 8-meter umbilical line, and a sub under water. Can be equipped with a range of sensors to perform missions for marine science, commercial, and defense applications.

Status

Ongoing

Year

2007

Website
Width
145 cm
Height
856 cm
Length
305 cm
Weight
155 kg
Speed
5.5 km/h (3 knots, top water speed)
Sensors

Camera, CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) sensor, wave sensor, weather station, fluorometer, hydrophone, acoustic Doppler current profiler sonar, marine acoustics sensors.

Actuators

One stepper motor (to control rudder position).

Materials

Float made of e-glass pre-preg composite with foam cores. Glider consists of stainless steel frame and fiberglass wings, with a titanium "thrudder."

Compute

Central control unit, plus other processors and controllers based on customer requirements

Software

On-board: custom control software. Shore-side software: Web-based system.

Power

Mechanical conversion of wave energy into forward propulsion. On-board electronics and sensors powered via solar panels and batteries.