A British Antarctic Survey research team has created a robot submarine that is powered by humble alkaline D cells, 5,000 of them to be exact. The unmanned “Autosub” can travel up to 400km at depths of up to 1600m before it makes a return trip to pick up 5,000 fresh D cells from the mother ship.

It should see action at Antarctica’s Pine Island in less than two months, where it will be investigating ice conditions under the ice shelves of the Pine and Thwaite’s glaciers, the two fastest moving glaciers on the continent. It is hoped that their research will shed some light on the processes behind fast-moving glaciers. At their present rate of movement of 3.7 km per year, these glaciers contribute to a quarter millimeter rise in ocean sea levels each year.

Work has already begun on the next generation of the Autosub, which will run on rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. [Reuters via The Register]

Related Videos

Sponsors