Talking
Points Memo: To "put California water online," researchers
for the Floating Sensor Network Project of the University of
California, Berkeley, are developing miniature robotic
watercraft. Each foot-long robot is equipped with a GPS-enabled
smartphone to transmit data. Compared with manned watercraft,
the miniature robots can deploy more rapidly, reach more areas,
and cover more territory. Plus they're relatively inexpensive.
The goal is to help monitor and preserve water quality in
estuary systems, lakes, and rivers where stationary monitoring
systems have proven to be inadequate.
