Sixteen-inch submarine
p2pnet.net OT News:- We did an OT special on ANU (Australian National University) in May on technology which might some day take you where no one’s gone before – as in Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Here’s another, this time going down – as in the world’s smallest autonomous submarine.
ANU’s Serafina is 40 centimetres (16 inches) long, with five propellers and a plastic hull “crammed with rechargeable batteries and circuitry”. It has an underwater speed of one metre per second – equivalent to fast walking pace – and can hover, tilt and right itself if overturned, says the university, going on:
“Most importantly, the team have managed to refine the design so Serafina can be produced relatively cheaply – starting at around A$1,000 per basic unit. This raises the potential for large numbers of Serafinas to be deployed, travelling together in swarm formation, like a school of fish.”
The Serafina can be programmed in advance and dropped from the side of a ship, eliminating the need for cranes and launching systems that typically limit the usage of underwater exploration vehicles to fine weather, says ANU, adding that the team aim to develop the mini-sub to be able to travel to a depth of between 3000 and 5000 metres, and to be flexible enough to carry a range of sensors useful in undersea exploration and oceanic monitoring.
August 1st, 2004 at 11:35 pm
What is OT and why do you habve something on a “Sixteen-inch submarine” on a site that is supposed to be about P2P and digital media?
August 2nd, 2004 at 7:46 am
OT = Off Topic
They have these posts because they are interesting and entertaining.
Oh, and also just because.
August 2nd, 2004 at 3:08 pm
Heh. Yep. That’s about the size of it : )
Cheers!
August 3rd, 2004 at 4:49 am
Well since no one said it I guess I’ll have too!!!!!!!! I want one for Christmas!!!!!! Got to have a sence of humor!!!!
August 3rd, 2004 at 5:02 am
Bragging again. hahaha
August 3rd, 2004 at 5:04 am
ooops. this was supposed to go under newton’s comment