Exploration: Unveiling the Hidden Depths
Our planet is vast, yet much of it remains unexplored. Around 60% of Earth’s surface is underwater, with only a quarter of it mapped to 100m resolution. At Maschinenmensch, our passion for exploration and geography has inspired us to develop the Geery Glider, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) aimed at unlocking the mysteries of our planet’s marine ecosystems.
Sustainable Balance with Oceans
As we venture into the ocean for resources and space, understanding its composition becomes critical. Oceans play a pivotal role in climate regulation, oxygen production, food supply, and contribute to global economic value. The Geery Glider aids in mapping and surveillance of the seabed, increasing the efficiency of deep-ocean exploration and enabling responsible management of underwater resources.
Case Studies
Seamount Surveillance:
Seamounts, representing 5.6% of the Earth’s surface, are vital hotspots of biological diversity. Using the Geery Glider, we can characterize their topography and assess the potential impact of anchoring sea living pods, aiding in conservation and research.
Marine Noise Impact Assessment:
Understanding how marine animals respond to man-made noise is crucial for their preservation. The Geery Glider offers an advanced alternative to traditional passive, anchored listening stations, enhancing our knowledge and leading to better marine life protection.
Search and Rescue Operations:
The Geery Glider’s quick, accurate data collection capabilities make it an indispensable tool in locating lost underwater vessels, leading to effective search and rescue operations. Could drones like this act as fast fact finding or even life line feeding that could both navigate autonomously but could find lost vessels? In light of the Titan accident, private ventures in extreme environments will need continued safer design as well as life saving rescue buoy?
Technology to meet the challenge
Navigating the vast underwater spaces poses unique technological challenges, and solutions need to be efficient, affordable, and environmentally conscious. AUVs, as part of the Blue Economy, are a critical piece of technology aiding in sustainable oceans. The Geery Glider is autonomous, energy-efficient, agile, and stealthy. It can handle extreme environments, cover vast areas, and collect precise data. Additionally, we are exploring novel sonar technology based on technologies used in brain neuron imaging and swarm coordination for faster geographic data collection.
The Solution: The Geery Glider
Designed with a small footprint, deltoid winged design, and a variable buoyancy system, the Geery Glider AUV offers a unique, motorless thrust propulsion system. Its autonomous, efficient operation is coupled with novel multispectrum sonar, providing high-resolution mapping and surveillance capabilities.
From performing fly-over mapping to coordinating with other autonomous technologies, the Geery Glider promises to revolutionize how we understand and interact with our planet’s oceans. Its ability to work in a swarm means that large areas can be mapped quickly and efficiently, providing real-time surveys of morphology, bathymetry, and biodiversity.
At Maschinenmensch, our mission is to take robotic technology to places beyond our reach, to see what we can’t see, and to foster a sustainable relationship with our planet. The Geery Glider is our commitment to this mission – for a better understanding of the world beneath the waves.