Autonomous Vessels 

Saildrone ‘SD 1021’, the first autonomous vessel crossing the Atlantic Ocean in both directions, has completed the voyage of 3,402 nM in a record 68 days.

These unmanned surface vessels (USVs), powered entirely by wind & solar energy, can perform in the harshest ocean conditions whilst collecting data from both above and below the sea’s surface - including air & surface temperature, wind speed & direction, wave height & period, atmospheric pressure, radiation, dissolved oxygen, salinity and acidity levels.   ‘SD 1021’ also has an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for both current strength & direction.

www.maritime-executive.com

PS.  With Argofloats and Saildrones as ‘Satellites of the Sea’, it’s no wonder foiling craft travelling at 40kts through the water risk catastrophic collision with ‘unknown objects’!!  (see Alex Thompson’s disaster at https://www.alexthomsonracing.com/blog/2019/11/08/alex-thomson-and-neal-mcdonald-arrive-safely-to-the-cape-verde-islands-onboard-hugo-boss/