Liquid Robotics Inc. is revolutionizing marine exploration with a solar-and-water-powered robot called the Wave Glider. Called an “autonomous marine vehicle,” the Wave Glider can act like a buoy or a ship. Powered by the movement of water and the sun, it can travel long distances or remain stationary for more than a year while collecting valuable data for clients on matters ranging from national security (monitoring who or what is moving through territorial waters) to scientific research (data collection for oceanic missions of all kinds) to offshore energy exploration.
The device consists of two parts. The first is a surfboard-shaped float that travels on the surface of the water mounted with solar panels and batteries that power the computer, satellite communications and sensor payloads carried onboard. The second portion of the vehicle hangs 22 feet down connected by cable to the float on top. Known as the “glider,” the bottom part has a series of fins that allow it to “harvest” the motion of the waves on the surface to control the movement or anchoring of the entire unit. Headquartered in Sunnyvale with an R&D operations center in Hawaii, the privately held company was founded in 2007 as a joint venture between the Los Altos-based Jupiter Research Foundation and Liquid Robotics founder and chief technical officer Roger Hine, former robotics chief at semiconductor equipment manufacturer Asyst Technologies LLC. Liquid Robotics employs 90 workers.
