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Lockheed Martin, Navy team up to deploy communications buoys for submarines
Lockheed Martin has announced that it's completed a critical design review for a system that enables submarine communication while below periscope depth. Part of the US Navy's Communications at Speed and Depth Program, buoys are launched by the sub, which can then connect nearby to military networks or satellites. The 40-inch long buoys can either be launched from the sub itself, shuttling data back and forth via miles-long cables, or dropped from aircraft. If the latter, communications is established using an acoustic messaging system similar to SONAR. Now that the review is complete, the team will begin producing hardware with an eye toward delivering engineering design models early next year. PR after the break.
TUAW's Daily App: Silent Hunter Mobile
The Silent Hunter series is largely accepted as the pinnacle of submarine simulation. The PC and console games are pretty much the best way to feel like you're in charge of a real old-school submarine. Ubisoft currently owns the license, and they've now released an iPhone version of the brand, which has you piloting a German U-boat around the North Sea in 1939. It lacks most of the depth (pun intended, sorry) that Silent Hunter is known for; the game is basically a shooting gallery, and while there is a bit of strategy in ship placement, the plan is mostly to kill the other side before they kill you. Still, it's fun, and except for a little bit of lag in the controls, it plays pretty well. You can send your sub up or down in the water (make sure to stay below when you get close to the escort you're stalking) and fire torpedos at any targets you spot. The game's campaign mode has 12 different missions, and each one offers up a nice set of progressions, from just hunting down merchant ships to taking on destroyers, on up into anti-air combat. You can earn XP to upgrade your sub and its parts, but the gameplay doesn't change much; you pretty much just navigate to the right spot, and then open fire at the right time. The graphics are presentable on the iPhone, but the music is actually excellent. All in all, the game is definitely worth a go at US $1.99 (which is what it's on sale for in the App Store right now). You won't find anywhere near the level of complicated and subtle gameplay that the larger versions of Silent Hunter have, but if you just want to line up a destroyer in your sights and yell, "Torpedo away!", Silent Hunter Mobile does the trick.
NASA's robot submarine achieves perpetual motion, of a sort
The Sounding Oceanographic Lagrangrian Observer Thermal Recharging (SOLO-TREC) autonomous underwater vehicle is, well, quite a mouthful. It's also the first submarine that can run a sizable percentage of forever without requiring a charge. When the 183-pound buoy dives, cooler water temperature causes a liquid wax-like substance inside to solidify, squeezing out oil that drives a hydraulic generator; when it surfaces, the wax softens once again, ready for another round. Every dive produces 1.7 watt-hours of electricity, enough to power all the instruments, GPS and buoyancy-control pump on board. It's like a drinking bird that never runs out of water. Designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Scripps researchers, the thermal engine is envisioned as an oceanography tool... but since the US Navy also has a finger in the pie, don't be surprised if it plays a minor role in the coming robot apocalypse as well.
Report: Silent Hunter 5 recalled in Germany
Ubisoft has issued a recall for Collectors Edition copies of the submarine sim Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic, According to a report from the German site ComputerBase. Apparently, some offending World War II-related symbols (we're guessing swastikas) were left in some of the bonus content, which violates German law. This only affects the Collectors Edition. The ComputerBase post briefly mentions the Ubisoft DRM that has been so problematic for players of Assassin's Creed 2 and this game, confirming that the same scheme is in use there. It must not be as bad in Germany, because someone was able to play long enough to see a swastika. [Via Blue's News, Edge]
Submarines coming in Cataclysm
While we didn't get the full fledged Maelstrom expansion that some people were predicting, Cataclysm still promises to have some water-related content, such as the Abyssal Maw, the elemental plane of water. And where there's water, you need a boat. The recent Twitter developer chat revealed that we will, in fact, be using new transports to get to certain places in Cataclysm, and that these transport would be submarines, built by the gnomes and goblins for their respective factions.
Supreme Commander 2 screens and units ready for duty
click to see the whole battlefield Big-time RTS Supreme Commander 2 is rolling ever closer to release next month, and to whet your appetite for (unit) production, we've got some new screens and descriptions of three of the units you'll be Supreme Commanding around the battlefield. First up is the Bomb Bouncer, a shielded unit that gains power as it's fired upon and can then throw all of that stored-up damage right back in the faces of any units around it. The Pulinsmash is a unit that creates a vortex to "pull and smash" surrounding units into it, damaging and disrupting them like popcorn in a popper. Finally, the Kraken, as you can see on the right in the picture above, is a sea creature-shaped Cybran experimental submarine that can take down other subs, aircraft and even battlebots on land. Sure, these machines are awesome to go to war with, and we get the whole "commanding the troops" thing, but don't forget that every one of these rank-and-file units has a family. What about the supreme children, Commander? %Gallery-84795%
Virgin goes underwater with Necker Nymph aero submarine
Cor blimey! Sir Richard Branson sure is ambitious. Just when you thought conquering the final frontier was all that the Virgin empire was fixated upon, today it announces a new product for its Limited Edition retreats on Planet Earth -- the Necker Nymph aero submarine. As the 'aero' part implies, the vehicle relies on "downward 'lift' on the wings" to counteract its positive buoyancy during its two-hour dives, which probably means it can't remain stationary underwater while you grab nearby weeds or whatnot in those open cockpits. Still, given the chance, we suspect any mere mortal would be up for a spin if beached on Necker Island -- 'course, coming up with the $25,000 per week lease rate may prove to be an insurmountable task.
Video: Cornell's autonomous robot sub wins competition, our hearts
Cornell sure seems to be doing its part to usher in a world where robots call the shots and humans spend most of their time cowering in the corners of bomb-out buildings. Researchers at the school have variously applied their brain matter (and we're guessing the occasional government check) to such sticky problems as robot consciousness, distance walking, and complications related to using robotics in zero gravity. And now we've heard that the school has just won something called the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition. The vehicles entered in the 12th annual AUVC (which was held at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego) ran an underwater obstacle course that involved bombing things, firing torpedoes, and eventually recovering a suitcase with "secret documents" (or old issues of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly, depending on who you believe). You can see the thing in action for yourself in the video after the break.[Via GoRobotics.net]
Acoustic superlens could mask ships from sonar... in theory, anyway
Man, the mad scientists are really on a roll of late. First we hear that Li-ion cells are set to magically double in capacity, and now we're learning that a new form of invisibility cloak is totally gearing up for its Target debut. As the seemingly endless quest to bend light in such a way as to create a sheath of invisibility continues, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Nicholas Fang has reportedly developed a metamaterial that acts as a type of acoustic superlens. In theory, at least, this approach would rely on phreaking with sound rather than light in order to intensely focus ultrasound waves; by doing so, one could hypothetically "hide ships from sonar." To be fair, this all sounds entirely more believable than hiding massive vessels from human sight, but we're still not taking our skeptic hat off until we see (er, don't see?) a little proof.[Via Slashdot]
Deep Flight Super Falcon winged submarine readies deep sea exploration in San Francisco
Inventor Graham Hawkes has been building deep sea exploration vessels for about 20 years. His newest submarine -- called the Deep Flight Super Falcon -- has a set of wings with a span of 10 feet, giving the 20 foot vessel a distinctly bird-like appearance. Hawkes has been working on the Falcon for several years, and it's just now ready to make its first deep sea journey. The battery-powered vessel is twenty feet long, can carry two people, and cruise depths of up to 1,500 feet at a speed of about 7 miles per hour. The winged vessel is extremely agile because of its animal-like shape, and researchers at Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are optimistic about it potential for studying and following exotic, mysterious sea creatures such as super sharks and the ever-elusive giant squid. The Super Falcon is set to fly around Monterey Bay from June 19th to July 17th, and will be on display to the public when not in use. Check out the video of the Falcon after the break.
Robotic Nereus submarine aims to explore the depths of Challenger Deep
Robotic submarines have already achieved some pretty impressive feats of submersion, but this new Nereus sub developed by the folks at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution looks set to out-do those in a fairly big way, with it now on track to dive down into all 11,000 meters of the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean. What's more, while the sub can be operated remotely, it also has a fully autonomous mode, which'll let it make use of the on-board chemical sensors, sonar, and digital photography to seek out areas of interest and map out "vast swathes of the seafloor" before returning to the ship automatically. As you might have guessed, all of that comes at a fairly hefty price tag -- about $5 million -- and it seems like may only be the first of a flood of robotic submarines to come, with British, French, Russian and Japanese teams said to be watching the Nereus' progress "with interest." It doesn't look like they'll have to wait all that long for the big show, however, as the sub is apparently now starting to undergo a series of progressively difficult test dives in advance of the main event planned for late May or early June.
Chevy Volt's powertrain and recharging clarified
Chevy's taking a moment to clear up some misconceptions about its eagerly anticipated plug-in hybrid, the Volt, which had long been assumed (by most) to use its gasoline-powered engine like a WWII submarine -- kicking on and charging the batts to full before switching off again. Alas, that's close but not completely accurate. The engine does serve only to feed the batteries (it's not connected to the wheels in any way) and will fire up when they are getting low. However, it will not fully recharge them, serving only to maintain a 30-percent charge as you keep on motoring. In other words, you'll need to plug that puppy in overnight if you want to get back to silent running and successfully avoid detection by destroyer battlegroups on your morning commute -- or spy cameras.
Autosub6000 to explore deep undersea volcanoes as only a robot could
The UK's National Oceanography Center in Southampton is prepping to launch a new autonomous underwater vehicle (also known as a robo-sub, landlubber) capable of exploring undersea volcanoes in the Cayman Trough up to 20,000 feet deep. It'll only run for about a kilometer at a time though, so while it does have quickly replaceable lithium polymer battery packs, it still won't exactly be roaming the briny deep for months on end without human supervision. And you know how we feel about unsupervised self-directing machines.
Researchers creating flexible fin to make AUVs more agile
If a wave of déjà vu just hit you like a ton of bricks, fret not, as this most certainly isn't the first (or second) time we've heard of researchers looking to the seas to create more intelligent / nimble submersibles. Apparently, a few more folks have gotten involved, as gurus from Drexel, MIT, Harvard and George Washington are now collaborating to develop a "fish-like fin to make autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) more agile." Apparently, the current iteration has improved on prior versions by eliminating drag during part of the "cut and sweep" motion. The general idea is to combine several of the fins in order to "allow robotic submarines to hover and turn on a dime as natural swimmers can," but it'll still be quite some time before devices such as this one can overcome ocean currents and ill-willed sea creatures.
MIT gurus developing mechanical fin for autonomous submarine
While we've already witnessed robotic submersibles take on fish-like sensing abilities, a team at MIT is hoping to equip autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with a mechanical fin in order to nix the necessity of a propeller. In essence, the crew is looking to "create a more maneuverable, propeller-less underwater robot better suited for military tasks such as sweeping mines and inspecting harbors," and they are taking a note from the bluegill sunfish to make it happen. This particular creature sports a "distinctive swimming motion which results in a constant forward thrust with no backward drag," making it the ideal candidate to replicate. Current prototypes are being constructed with a "thin, flexible material that conducts electricity," and while we've no idea when the gurus plan on cranking out a finalized version, they've already got plans to study other aspects of the sunfish's movement in order to better design the bots.[Via Physorg]
DepthX robotic submarine maps world's deepest sinkhole
After the recent streak of robotic failures that we've seen, it's refreshing to see yet another success story come our way. Just as it did in February, the two-meter wide DepthX (Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer) robotic submarine successfully mapped out a massive sinkhole in Mexico, but this time was quite a bit more rewarding. The cavern that it ventured into was the El Zacatón Cenote, which is better known as the world's deepest water-filled sinkhole, and the machine was able to delve some 270-meters down to "create the first map of the giant cavity." The hole itself is large enough to "swallow New York's Chrysler Building," and while the endeavor was indeed a success, researchers are hoping to get it back down there in the near future to better analyze a mysterious slope that it wasn't quite able to probe. Godspeed, DepthX.[Via Slashdot]
Robotic submersibles take on fish-like sensing abilities
Controlling your fish remotely is one thing, but utilizing fish sense to dictate the actions of an uncrewed submersible is an entirely different animal. Malcolm MacIver and colleagues at Northwestern University have created an "artificial electric-field sensing system that could ultimately give robotic subs the same additional sensory capabilities" as found in weakly electric fish. These particular sea-dwellers have an uncanny ability to sense electric fields, and can also generate their own to "help navigate, identify objects, and even communicate with other fish." The newfangled "electro-location" system could allow underwater bots big and small to more accurately maneuver and collect data, particularly in situations where precise movements and recognition of surroundings is important. Even the creators admit that it'll be quite some time before man made sensors can come close to mimicking those found in nature, but judging by the videos seen in the read link, they're certainly riding the right wave.[Via NewScientistTech]
Energy-efficient Deepglider scours the ocean for scientific data
The University of Washington's Deepglider won't go down as the first manmade projectile to scour the ocean for random (albeit useful) tidbits of information, but it does sport an ultra-modern frame and energy source that certainly sets it apart. Similar to the nuke detector, Edinburgh Duck, and the bevy of other submarines used for the benefit of mankind, this concoction is used to capture underwater data to aid researchers in discovering more about global warming and seafloor conditions, but its autonomous nature and carbon fiber enclosure gives it the ability to remain underwater "for up to a year" and sink to depths of nearly 9,000 feet. The 71-inch long, 138-pound device carries sensors to measure "oceanic conditions including salinity and temperature," and when not patrolling the seas based on satellite-driven controls, it can transmit the data remotely using the same signal path in reverse. Notably, the torpedo-like device boasts an energy-efficient, battery-powered design that allows it to stay submerged for ridiculous amounts of time without needing a recharge, and while we're not too sure if its researchers are too caught up in its unmatched diving abilities to notice how swank the power system is, they've apparently got a good thing going.
DepthX robot submarine passes first test
As Popular Science reports, inventor/spelunker Bill Stone's DepthX robot submarine recently underwent its first successful test in Mexico's La Pilita underwater cave, which Stone hopes is only the first step on the bot's way to exploring Jupiter's ice-covered moon, Europa. After a slight delay with some suspicious border guards, the robot quickly got to work on its initial field test, diving some 300 feet down into the cave system, collecting samples, capturing images, and building a 3D map of the area. As the video after the break shows, the robot is definitely built to impress, with some decidedly sci-fi sounding sound effects adding the perfect final touch. According to Popular Science, DepthX will undergo another field test next month, to be followed by a considerably bigger challenge in May, when it'll dive more than 1,000 feet into the Zacaton, the world's deepest sinkhole.[Via Slash Gear]
U-Boat Worx set to release CQ1 personal submarine
With all the great underwater nature documentaries available in high definition these days, we have no real interest in actually getting out of our chairs to go exploring among sharks, fish, and seaweed, but it's nice to know that there will soon be a non-self-powered personal submarine on the market in case we ever do decide to take the plunge. After three years of furious design, development, and testing, a Dutch company called U-Boat Worx is finally ready to release its battery-powered C-Quester 1 to aquatic enthusiasts worldwide, which will allow them to cruise down to depths of 50 meters at a maximum speed of 3 knots for up to two-and-a-half hours. The main advantage of this craft over traditional scuba diving is the fact that its cabin maintains a constant pressure of one atmosphere, meaning that you can surface immediately without having to sit through those boring decompression periods -- and if for some reason you can't surface, the on-board oxygen tanks and CO2 scrubbers will keep you alive for 36 hours or until help arrives, whichever comes first. Scheduled to ship sometime this month, the CQ1 is conspicuously missing a pricetag on the company's website; you have to call or write if you're interested, which probably means that pricing falls somewhere between a Sea-doo and a 7-series BMW.[Thanks, Sytse S.]
