You’re right these machines don’t fly, but that doesn’t make them any less fascinating. Currently, there are about 30 of these autonomous SailDrones deployed around the world. these vessels are jam-packed with sensors and analyze parts of the oceans where normally very few people venture. The SailDrone company aims to have about 1,000 of these sailing drones navigating the world in a few years.
Every spring, in what is one of the world’s largest migrations, thousands of great white sharks swim from along America’s West Coast to an area in the Pacific Ocean that is half-way in between San Diego and Hawaii. The area is about the size of Colorado and is known among marine biologists as the White Shark Cafe. Not much was known as to why the marine predators hang out here or what they are up to. However, this year we finally got some answers as two Saildrones were sent out there to monitor the great whites.
A fleet of unmanned boats, or ocean drones, are traveling from the Arctic to the equator collecting data on climate change. The autonomous ships are officially called “Saildrones” look like bright red dinghies and are outfitted with a 200-foot-high carbon fiber sail and 16 sensors that measure things like carbon dioxide, acidity, water temperature and currents.