The first underwater robotic vehicle that has crossed an ocean basin is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington.
The robotic glider, also known as RU27, can dive to depths of 200 meters to collect data such as temperature, salinity, currents and density. This helps scientists better understand how the ocean works and how the ocean and the climate are changing, processes that directly impact all life on Earth.
Scientists and students from Rutgers University launched the transatlantic glider, dubbed "the Scarlet Knight" in honor of the school's mascot, off the New Jersey coast in spring of last year.
They and their Spanish colleagues from Puertos Del Estado (the Spanish Port Authority) recovered the glider off the Spanish coast after seven months at sea and brought it ashore. One year later, it is laid as a centerpiece within the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum.
Scott Glenn, professor of Marine & Coastal Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, who actually led the scientists of the transatlantic mission, told Xinhua that "just months before, the technology was used to help in the Deepwater Horizon BP response."
As part of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill response effort, a fleet of gliders equipped with sensors were deployed to help indicate the presence of oil. Although scientists must still confirm the oil through water sampling, the gliders narrowed the search zone for subsurface oil.
"We have some optical sensors on them, which give us signals that related to the oil," Glenn said.
"We can use the gliders to improve the circulation models and forecast where those unmown things are going. If we've found some oil today, we'll know where it is going to be tomorrow, and how to respond for that," he added.
"New technologies give us greater insight into how the ocean works. The transatlantic glider, in particular, helped reduce uncertainty in some of our climate models," Glenn said.
Glenn also told Xinhua that China has such a glider as well. "The glider which shares the concept of flying in the ocean and for the same purpose, but with a totally different technology, is owned by Tianjin University of China, which is Rutgers' international partner."
