However, a California tech company may have cracked the code on sustainable ocean exploration.
Instead, it harnesses kinetic energy produced by temperature fluctuations to generate power.
The system resembles a cylindrical buoy and has been aptly dubbed “infiniTE float.”
It relies on phase-change materials that swap between solid and liquid states as the robot dives and surfaces.
The material melts and expands when it moves toward the warmer surface waters, kickstarting the cycle again.
After over a decade of R&D, the startup is finally bringing the drones to the market.
This technology could open up a bunch of ocean exploration and monitoring opportunities.
For starters, oceanographers could map out the estimated 80% of the ocean floor that remains uncharted territory.
Seatrec has also field-tested the bot by measuring hurricane intensity in the Gulf using prototypes.
