Liquid Robotics is a data service provider headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Liquid Robotics has invented and patented a revolutionary vehicle for ocean exploration and data collection called the Wave Glider. The Wave Glider is a marine robot that utilizes the natural energy of waves for propulsion and solar power for navigation and communications. This vehicle uses the space between the surfboard-sized float above water and glider tethered six meters below the surface to create forward thrust from wave energy. Being self-propelled and able to navigate the strongest of elements, the Wave Glider has the ability to travel for years while consistently recording and reporting important information for researchers, governments, and businesses alike.
This technology is highly customizable in its ability to collect a variety of different data including, but not limited to, weather, sea conditions, living organisms, water quality, bottom topography and currents. The Wave Glider costs 1/10th the cost of alternative research devices such as buoys, ships, and satellites. With its size and autonomous operation or remote steering capabilities, the Wave Glider can reach places that have yet to be explored or studied. With oceans covering 71% of Earth’s surface and providing 99% of its living space, the Wave Glider gives us the ability to study these unknowns conservatively both economically and ecologically.
