Underwater glider promises silent sea surveys

The team at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, aimed to create a versatile underwater vehicle with components and sensors easily swapped out or added, according to mission specifications. 

“Our goal is persistent operation of mobile robots in challenging environments,” said Nina Mahmoudian, associate professor of mechanical engineering. “Most underwater robots have limited battery life and must return back after just a few hours. For long-endurance operations, an underwater glider can travel for weeks or months between charges but could benefit from increased deployment opportunities in high-risk areas.”

An underwater glider differs from other marine robots because it has no propeller or active propulsion system. It changes its own buoyancy to sink down and rise up, and to propel itself forward. Although this approach enables very energy-efficient vehicles, the vehicles can be expensive and slow with difficulties moving in shallow water.