OT: Autonomous Sub

Personal Finance / Macroeconomic Trends & Risks

Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (1)

Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!

No. of Recommendations: 1

popsci.com - Yellow robot submarine circle world

Self-piloting submarine set to begin historic mission to circle Earth’s oceans No one lives on this yellow submarine. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, Published Oct 10, 2025 An autonomous submersible named Redwing is heading out on a truly historic voyage. If successful, it will achieve the first around-the-world ocean trip made by an unpiloted underwater vehicle.... Redwing—an acronym of the Research and Education Doug Webb Inter-National Glider—isn’t powered by propellers like other submersibles, but uses an energy-saving buoyancy system instead. The configuration allows it to sink to a depth as low as 3,280 feet before rising once again on the ocean currents. Redwing isn’t setting any speed records, however. On average it will travel at around 1 knot (1.15 mph) while maxing out at 2 knots (2.3 mph).... The bright yellow craft is equipped with a sensor designed to measure three data points during its thousands of miles of sailing—its depth, as well as the surrounding water’s salinity and warmth. The information will then relay its measurements to the mission team by satellite every 8 to 12 hours as it resurfaces. Redwing is also carrying a fish tracker that will flag any nearby tagged species during its travels.... All that information can provide oceanographers with a three-dimensional glimpse of portions of the planet human eyes have never seen. The discoveries could also aid in meteorological efforts like monitoring ocean heat waves, hurricane intensity, and the health of marine ecosystems.... [end quote]

I think this is very neat. But I just don't get it. How does the propulsion system work? The mission is supposed to last 5 years with occasional stops but it doesn't mention any kind of power source.

Wendy

Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!

Print the post Share: X · FacebookFB · LinkedInLI · WhatsAppWApp · Email

Members reply directly to WendyBG here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »

This community has written 4,454 posts about Macroeconomic Trends & Risks. The article-length ones it recommended most:

AI Tarpits · 36 recs · 2026

End of an era - profit slowdown · 36 recs · 2023

Control Panel: Trend changes in 2026 · 34 recs · 2026

From the Oregon Bay Area (a blogger) · 33 recs · 2025

Lerner Symmetry Theorem · 32 recs · 2025

Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (1)

Prev | Next

Announcements

Macroeconomic Trends & Risks FAQ

Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

A community forum supporting civilized, and highly helpful, self-educating investors that come together for Shrewdness and merry spirits. These message boards closely follow the look and feel of the old message boards at boards.fool.com prior to the boards redirected to discussion.fool.com. Shrewd'm is not affiliated with the comprehensive and excellent investment website The Motley Fool (TMF) in any way. The Shrewd community here has owed, and continues to owe, gratitude to The Motley Fool for nurturing a culture of jovial irreverence towards Wall St, and that tradition will continue here.