Drone project proposed to explore Earth’s oceans

New Scientist : A fleet of autonomous robots may one day be deployed underwater to explore and collect data from the world’s oceans. The Hydroswarm project, which was created by MIT PhD student Sampriti Bhattacharyya, would send a swarm of yellow, pumpkin-shaped drones into the deep ocean. Each robot, called EVE (ellipsoidal vehicle for exploration), would be studded with sensors to perform various tasks, such as monitoring changes in pH levels and looking for missing aircraft. A group of them could work independently or together as a sensor network. Hydroswarm is one of 26 finalists for the MassChallenge Awards , a competition sponsored by MassChallenge, an organization that supports early-stage start-up companies by connecting them with mentors; providing grant money; and organizing lectures, networking events, and workshops. Before the ocean-going robots can be fully deployed, Bhattacharyya still has some challenges to overcome, such as increasing the life of the robots’ battery.