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On R/V Falkor, several Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are being optimized individually. Meanwhile, the team is experimenting with artificial intelligence that will enable the machines to assess risk, complete missions, and replan actions in conjunction. At the same time, software is being developed to act as an umbrella that keeps track of operations by displaying … Continued

To adrenaline-seeking daredevils, hang gliding through midtown Manhattan may sound like a fun idea. Yet even the most adventurous risk-takers would be unwilling to start such a journey without a very good way to plan and modify their trajectories on the fly, detecting shifts in their intended path and adjusting to outside forces like wind … Continued

So you want to go to the seafloor. You want to go exploring, see some amazing stuff, do some interesting science, and share it with the public.  OK, you have got to know what to pack, how to plan the itinerary, to know how to make the most of your time, and be ready to … Continued

Soft robotics has been getting increased attention in recent years. It is a sub-field of robotics that uses soft, squishy and pliable materials – similar to those of living animals. Many futurists see “squishy robots” as the inevitable path forward robotics. Squishy robots, unlike the “hard” robot seen in Hollywood movies, are a lot safer to … Continued

This Halloween, we found ourselves in what may some regard as a relatively spooky environment: 1646m deep, on the bottom of the ocean, under bone-crushing pressure that is 160x more than normal, alone in the most remote part of the Pacific, in a place where light never shines, and distant sounds only echo hauntingly. Although … Continued

It has been a magnificent journey. Being surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on all sides for 25 days has deepened my connection to our water planet. Whenever on deck studying the blues of sky and sea, I also took a few deep breaths and grasped a sense of scale that I can not appreciate on … Continued

As an undergraduate student, Colleen Durkin had no idea what to specialize in, but looking at a seawater sample through a microscope during a field-trip to Friday Harbor Labs changed that forever. “I suppose I had used a microscope before, but I can’t remember it,” she shares. “All I know is that to this day, I … Continued

Every great ship needs a Holodeck. Not for entertainment, but for science. Star Trek‘s fictional Holodeck can create matter virtually (in our case, it would be scientific data) which can be seen, touched and interacted with. Unfortunately, real technology is not as advanced as we know it from TV, so for now we skip the touch. But … Continued