In one example, a fisherman in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, caught a device that looks like a boat with a length of about 3 meters. Tang Jiansheng, an expert on underwater acoustic engineering, told the media that the top looks like a boat but has a part on the bottom which is made up of six wings connected by an umbilical cord. It has a propeller behind it and, judging from its shape, it is actually a wave glider.
This wave glider has very good directional control under water, so it should be one of the most advanced designs. The expert said the wave glider is a new type of marine unmanned device, powered by the waves' ups and downs, marching forward using solar energy for gathering data, communication, and positioning. The glider carries a huge number of sensors, which are also able to measure environmental parameters of the oceans. |
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