Autonomous glider robot safeguards whale pods

We've all heard the diehards claiming that the whales are the ones we should save, and thanks to an autonomous glider crafted by Webb Research, they're finally getting their wish. Recently, a trial was pursued in which a radio / satellite phone-equipped Slocum Glider was sent up to 200-meters beneath the depths in order to survey, pinpoint, and record location data for various whale pods swimming about. The device then surfaces and "phones home" the recently gathered information, which can then be disseminated out to ensure nearby vessels don't enter whale-packed territories. Jim Theriault of Defense Research and Development Canada, Dartmouth ran the experiment, and noted that this iteration of whale sensing and reporting improved on previous attempts by being uber-stealthy, featuring a remote data reporting system, and boasting a signal processor capable of tracking even the baleen whale's "lower-frequency call." Currently, the torpedo runs on batteries which last a month or so without needing a recharge, but future renditions are planned to scour the waters for "between five months and a year" by utilizing a special recharging gel. Look for these to hit your nearest ocean later this summer, and try not to be too alarmed when it surfaces beside your craft.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[steve @ Apr 30th 2007 10:55AM]

Wouldn't this be quickly used by the illegal whalers as the "Here I am" homing signal?

[obiwan @ Apr 30th 2007 5:49PM]

Yep, that would definitely be a zero-day exploit right there. If they could manage an airborne device which would monitor pods, follow pods, phone home with travel data, and call 911-COAST-GUARD when the poachers showed up, I'd be ultra impressed (The warhead idea is bad because it could mistake whale-watchers for a valid target).

[Dirty Sloth @ Apr 30th 2007 11:02AM]

todays whale protection was brought to you by the colour yellow.

[dub @ Apr 30th 2007 12:16PM]

No, in the Star Trek movie, they saved the whales.

[TIMMAH! @ Apr 30th 2007 12:30PM]

"Mrs. Slocum, would you check on the whales, please?"

"In a minute Mr. Humphries, I'm currently checking my lower frequencies!"

"Indeed, Mrs. Slocum!"

[Scooter @ Apr 30th 2007 1:23PM]

attach a warhead in case the (whaling) boats nearby refuse to leave.

[Cameron Campbell @ Apr 30th 2007 2:02PM]

I may love you.

[steve-o @ Apr 30th 2007 4:20PM]

Couldn't you add solar cells on some of the horizontal surfaces so that this thing would recharge when it surfaced and then return to service? I'm not sure if solar cells can handle the pressures that these pods would experience though. Just a thought.

[Oliversl @ Apr 30th 2007 4:52PM]

Great, now Japanese whale killer can kill even more whales!
"Hey, don't go over there, there are a bunch of whales. Ooooooooooooooook"
(I know that not all Japanese eat whales, I'm just against that tiny percentage)