80% of our ocean floors have never been studied. This robot sailboat is unlocking the most treacherous parts.

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Oceans cover 70% of Earth’s surface. But there’s still so much we don’t understand about oceans, from seafloor topography to what surface conditions are like in a certain part of the world at any given time.

One problem is size: It’s expensive, impractical, and fuel-intensive to have many manned ships roaming the oceans. That’s why Saildrone is building a fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to constantly monitor the conditions of the world’s oceans.

Each Saildrone carries 20 scientific sensors that can measure things like water temperature changes, wildlife activity, CO2 concentration, and pollution. Saildrones can stay out at sea for months — or even years — without needing to refuel. And when they do require fuel or maintenance, the drones simply guide themselves back to port.

The long-term vision of Saildrone is to be able to measure every aspect of the oceans’ health — from pollution to fish populations — in real time.

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Read more of our stories on ocean exploration:
This underwater base could become the ISS of the ocean
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Robot penguins are exploring mysterious ocean currents
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Exploring Earth’s final frontier with AUV technology
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No politics, no gossip, no cynics. At Freethink, we believe the daily news should inspire people to build a better world. While most media is fueled by toxic politics and negativity, we focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.
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