The L.A. Times has reported that Boeing, the huge airplane maker, has been testing a new drone submarine off the coast of Santa Catalina Island. The sub, at 18 feet long, doesn't carry any people, just a guidance system and cameras so that operators can direct its movements.
Why A Drone Submarine?
Most Americans, and people in other countries as well have grown used to hearing about drone airplanes; they're used every day in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. But until now, there hasn't been much news about drone subs, and that's because GPS, the means used for piloting drone aircraft, doesn't work under the sea. GPS is satellite based and can't reach under the surface of the water. Thus, piloting a drone would be virtually impossible, at least with current technology.
This is why Boeing has in effect, taught the sub to move from place to place on its own after being given a virtual map before being sent on its way. The sub finds its destination by hovering very near the bottom of the ocean as it moves, using sonar and image mapping for the cameras mounted on its front and rear. It moves steadily towards its destination, while simultaneously avoiding running into anything. All the while it sends back video of what it sees; similar in some respects to the rovers sent to Mars.
In another first for such a test system, Boeing has actually paid for all of the development costs out of its own pockets; though this will likely change once the Department of Defense opts to use the new technology for military purposes.
Uses For a Drone Submarine
A drone submarine, due to its small size would obviously be much cheaper to build than one large enough to hold people and equipment, thus, its usefulness is limited only by the imagination. Initially, the sub is expected to help search for oil, and likely soon for military reconnaissance. But as the technology matures, its capabilities will be expanded. Robotic arms could be added, for example, to allow remote manipulation of underwater objects such as shipwrecks, oil facilities or to perform ship repair. Another kind of arms could also be added as was done with drone aircraft, though it this case it would be torpedoes rather than missiles.
The sub can dive to depths of 10,000 feet and in addition to being cheaper to build and maintain, it's likely to save lives as well, as it appears dangerous missions in the future will be undertaken without any sailor's on board at all.
Sources
- "Boeing tests submarine drone off Santa Catalina Island" The Los Angeles Times, viewed August 22, 2011
Bob Yirka - Bob Yirka has written thousands of online articles and backs them up with a BS in Computer Science/MS in Information Systems Management.
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