Seaglider
Gallery
Overview
Long-endurance buoyancy-driven glider from the University of Washington, sold by Kongsberg, that profiles the ocean for months.
Seaglider is one of the three classic underwater gliders, developed at the University of Washington and commercialised by Kongsberg. The 52 kg, roughly 1.8 m vehicle has no propeller: it changes its buoyancy to sink and rise between the surface and 1,000 m, and its wings turn that vertical motion into a slow forward glide of about half a knot. Because it uses so little energy, a single deployment can last up to ten months and cover around 4,600 km, profiling temperature, salinity, oxygen, and other properties on every dive. At each surfacing it fixes its position by GPS and sends data and receives new instructions over Iridium satellite. Oceanographers and navies use Seaglider fleets to watch currents, ocean heat, and sound in remote and ice-covered seas.
Primary Roles
Notes
Kongsberg product specification: 1.8-2 m long, 30 cm diameter, 1 m wingspan, 52 kg dry, 1,000 m depth, up to 4,600 km range (650 dives to 1 km), up to 10 months endurance, typical speed 25 cm/s. A Deepglider variant reached 6,000 m. Developed at the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory and School of Oceanography.
