Underwater robot collecting ‘never-seen-before’ hurricane information
By
Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published May 5, 2022 11:08 AM EDT
|
Updated May 5, 2022 11:08 AM EDT
Rutgers University will be deploying three unmanned gliders throughout the peak hurricane season this year.
In the name of scientific research, special underwater robots have been through quite an adventure, traveling far and wide and collecting information in every ocean since their deployment more than two decades ago.
But, with the Atlantic hurricane season approaching, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, provided an inside look at how scientists are using these underwater robots to collect and gather valuable information on hurricanes that will be used for research and forecasts.
Researchers at Rutgers started using the underwater robots more than 20 years ago in 1998, but their recent focus over the past five to 10 years has been studying and helping to forecast hurricanes. These robots go underwater into and through hurricanes -- conditions that are too dangerous for humans -- to gather the information, which is transmitted back to shore.
Dr. Travis Miles is an assistant professor at the Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership program, which goes by the acronym R-U COOL. He’s helping deploy these battery-powered information-gathering machines.
"We're collecting data that people have never seen before. We're really seeing the details on how the ocean can evolve and change underneath storms and get feedback on those storms," Miles told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline in an interview. "[The robots] collect data every two seconds."
The robots then resurface every three to six hours to send data back to the shore before scientists give it a new waypoint. Since the gliders are entirely autonomous, they use the onboard compass to navigate to the new destination.
Miles said the data collected goes to the federal government to help with forecasts in real-time and is also used in long-term studies. The data is also used in the classroom at Rutgers University where future scientists can hone their skills.
"What’s really exciting is we’re not just doing this as scientists. We’re doing this with students," Miles said. "Data is coming in real-time with students seeing this all happen. So we’re building the next generation of oceanographers and hurricane researchers."
Dr. Travis Miles, Assistant Professor at the Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership program.
The gliders make it easy for scientists and researchers to study different variables in the ocean. Attached to the gliders are swappable bays that collect different types of information. One bay studies the ocean acidification, or pH balance in the ocean, while another bay inside the glider studies the temperature and salinity, or amount of salt dissolved in the body of water.
"These gliders move really slow, about 20 kilometers a day. They're pretty slow, but their goal is to be a sustained presence out there in the ocean, ahead of, during and after storms." Miles said. “They profile through the water column by sucking in just a little bit of water in their nose, they get heavy then they sink. And then they push that water back out when they get to the bottom."
As the glider moves along in the ocean, scientists must keep a close eye on it in case there is any interaction with animals. Small amounts of microorganisms can grow on the slow-moving gliders, which can hinder the amount of data collected from the sensors, and even sometimes, sharks or squids have taken a bit out of the glider.
Even though these underwater robots are deployed around the world, Miles said the team wants to get more advanced sensors on the robot in the future, so they can analyze ocean turbulence and understand the ocean mixing process that occurs during a hurricane.
The research being performed by the Rutgers team is similar to work being conducted by other groups of scientists seeking to find a deeper understanding of how hurricanes work.
Last September, a drone ship operated by Saildrone Inc. and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured footage from Hurricane Sam, which reached major hurricane strength when it became a Category 4 storm late in the month.
The drone, which was un-crewed, called the Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, was sent into the eye of the storm, where it was able to record wind gusts reaching 91 mph, waves reaching 42 feet in height and it released the first video from inside a hurricane.
Additional reporting from Jillian Angeline.
For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Underwater robot collecting ‘never-seen-before’ hurricane information
By Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published May 5, 2022 11:08 AM EDT | Updated May 5, 2022 11:08 AM EDT
Rutgers University will be deploying three unmanned gliders throughout the peak hurricane season this year.
In the name of scientific research, special underwater robots have been through quite an adventure, traveling far and wide and collecting information in every ocean since their deployment more than two decades ago.
But, with the Atlantic hurricane season approaching, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, provided an inside look at how scientists are using these underwater robots to collect and gather valuable information on hurricanes that will be used for research and forecasts.
Researchers at Rutgers started using the underwater robots more than 20 years ago in 1998, but their recent focus over the past five to 10 years has been studying and helping to forecast hurricanes. These robots go underwater into and through hurricanes -- conditions that are too dangerous for humans -- to gather the information, which is transmitted back to shore.
Dr. Travis Miles is an assistant professor at the Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership program, which goes by the acronym R-U COOL. He’s helping deploy these battery-powered information-gathering machines.
"We're collecting data that people have never seen before. We're really seeing the details on how the ocean can evolve and change underneath storms and get feedback on those storms," Miles told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline in an interview. "[The robots] collect data every two seconds."
The robots then resurface every three to six hours to send data back to the shore before scientists give it a new waypoint. Since the gliders are entirely autonomous, they use the onboard compass to navigate to the new destination.
Miles said the data collected goes to the federal government to help with forecasts in real-time and is also used in long-term studies. The data is also used in the classroom at Rutgers University where future scientists can hone their skills.
"What’s really exciting is we’re not just doing this as scientists. We’re doing this with students," Miles said. "Data is coming in real-time with students seeing this all happen. So we’re building the next generation of oceanographers and hurricane researchers."
Dr. Travis Miles, Assistant Professor at the Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership program.
The gliders make it easy for scientists and researchers to study different variables in the ocean. Attached to the gliders are swappable bays that collect different types of information. One bay studies the ocean acidification, or pH balance in the ocean, while another bay inside the glider studies the temperature and salinity, or amount of salt dissolved in the body of water.
"These gliders move really slow, about 20 kilometers a day. They're pretty slow, but their goal is to be a sustained presence out there in the ocean, ahead of, during and after storms." Miles said. “They profile through the water column by sucking in just a little bit of water in their nose, they get heavy then they sink. And then they push that water back out when they get to the bottom."
As the glider moves along in the ocean, scientists must keep a close eye on it in case there is any interaction with animals. Small amounts of microorganisms can grow on the slow-moving gliders, which can hinder the amount of data collected from the sensors, and even sometimes, sharks or squids have taken a bit out of the glider.
Even though these underwater robots are deployed around the world, Miles said the team wants to get more advanced sensors on the robot in the future, so they can analyze ocean turbulence and understand the ocean mixing process that occurs during a hurricane.
The research being performed by the Rutgers team is similar to work being conducted by other groups of scientists seeking to find a deeper understanding of how hurricanes work.
Last September, a drone ship operated by Saildrone Inc. and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured footage from Hurricane Sam, which reached major hurricane strength when it became a Category 4 storm late in the month.
The drone, which was un-crewed, called the Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, was sent into the eye of the storm, where it was able to record wind gusts reaching 91 mph, waves reaching 42 feet in height and it released the first video from inside a hurricane.
Additional reporting from Jillian Angeline.
See more:
For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo