--- /dev/null
+ ROBOT BOAT SAILS INTO HISTORY BY FINISHING ATLANTIC CROSSING \r
+ (APNEWS.COM) \r
+\r
+ Thursday September 06, 2018 @11:30PM (msmash)\r
+ from the impressive-feat dept.\r
+\r
+ o News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/09/06/1719243/robot-boat-sails-into-history-by-finishing-atlantic-crossing\r
+ o Source link: https://www.apnews.com/f6d0e2a099684468873ab48966590ada\r
+\r
+\r
+ An anonymous reader writes: For the first time an autonomous\r
+ sailing robot has completed the Microtransat Challenge by\r
+ crossing the Atlantic from Newfoundland, Canada to Ireland.\r
+ The Microtransat has been running since 2010 and has seen 23\r
+ previous entries all fail to make it across. The successful\r
+ boat, SB Met was built by the Norwegian company Offshore\r
+ Sensing AS and is only 2 metres (6.5 ft) long. It completed\r
+ the crossing on August 26th, 79 days and 5000 km (3100 miles)\r
+ of sailing after departing Newfoundland on June 7th. Further\r
+ reading: A Fleet of Sailing Robots Sets Out To Quantify the\r
+ Oceans.\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** \r
+\r
+ ** Re:Hard to understand why this would be difficult (Score:4,\r
+ Informative)\r
+ (by arth1 ( 260657 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ You're a landlubber, I take it?\r
+ The Atlantic waves are quite an obstacle for a 2m boat.\r
+ Even drifting tar (and garbage) is a problem when you're that\r
+ small.\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:3, Funny)\r
+ (by Anonymous Coward)\r
+\r
+ \r
+ It is not that easy. If you just start sailing in a straight\r
+ line, you will end up many kilometers above the sea, which is\r
+ no good for a sail boat. If instead you point the boat\r
+ straight at the finish line, you'll be under water for most\r
+ of the trip. Again, not ideal for a sail boat. The earth is\r
+ not flat, you know.\r
+\r
+ ** Re:Hard to understand why this would be difficult\r
+ (Score:4, Funny)\r
+ (by Oswald McWeany ( 2428506 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ I've found a FLAT EARTH DENIER !\r
+ I bet you vaccinate your kids and don't believe in lizard\r
+ people either.\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by gnick ( 1211984 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Flat Earth statistic: If gravity is caused by a flat\r
+ earth accelerating at g, it'll reach c after about 1\r
+ year (~354 days).\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by amorsen ( 7485 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ > Flat Earth statistic: If gravity is caused by a flat\r
+ > earth accelerating at g, it'll reach c after about 1\r
+ > year (~354 days).\r
+ You are saying that as if it is a problem to hit C,\r
+ like it would be impossible to continue after 354\r
+ days. This is not the case. As long as you only care\r
+ about your own point of view and you're the one\r
+ being accelerated, you can reach as many times C as\r
+ you want (well, have fuel for).\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by gnick ( 1211984 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ You also have to decide what "at rest" means. A\r
+ year accelerating at g will put you at your\r
+ current velocity + c.\r
+\r
+ ** \r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by lokedhs ( 672255 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Would a flat earther believe in relativity\r
+ though? If simple geometry eludes them,\r
+ what would they do when being faced with a\r
+ Lorentz transformation?\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by lgw ( 121541 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ > I've found a FLAT EARTH DENIER!\r
+ > I bet you vaccinate your kids and don't believe in\r
+ > lizard people either.\r
+ The earth is not flat - that's just silly. When we ent\r
+ to the moon, and we did go to the moon, we discovered\r
+ the terrifying truth. The MOON is flat!\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Re:Hard to understand why this would be difficult (Score:4,\r
+ Insightful)\r
+ (by hey! ( 33014 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ > There really aren't a lot of obstacles to deal with. Just\r
+ > point the boat and go.\r
+ I imagine that's true, if you have an effectively unlimited\r
+ energy, but the terms of this contest is to build a vehicle\r
+ less than eight feet long that can cross the Atlantic.\r
+ That's not a lot of room to stuff with batteries or diesel\r
+ fuel, or to cover with solar panels. And that's the whole\r
+ point. If you could make the vehicle a hundred feet long,\r
+ this challenge would be expensive, but easy. By making the\r
+ boat tiny, you make the challenge affordable, but tough.\r
+ The race has two divisions, sail powered and unlimited, but\r
+ it's hard to see what they had in mind for propulsion by\r
+ having an unlimited division. Possibly some\r
+ seawater-replenished fuel cell.\r
+\r
+ ** \r
+\r
+ ** Bottles with corks have traversed the Atlantic (Score:2)\r
+ (by aberglas ( 991072 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Being small means relative high strength. A solid two\r
+ meter boat should indestructible by waves. No need to\r
+ keep a human alive, nor to go very fast. A very basic,\r
+ fixed, small but strong sail would do.\r
+ Ice bergs could be a problem. Surely better to start\r
+ further south. Longer but safer. Also need to stay out\r
+ of shipping lanes.\r
+ I think this could be done without a computer. Just a\r
+ magnetic compass controlling a rudder. Occasionally it\r
+ would be blown backwards but no big deal. No need to\r
+ worry about po\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** KABLAM (Score:1)\r
+ (by fluffernutter ( 1411889 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ No concrete barriers in the ocean?\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by zlives ( 2009072 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ or pedestrians\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** A small achievement... (Score:2)\r
+ (by Bearhouse ( 1034238 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Sure the Atlantic can be a tough place, but 79 days?\r
+ Single-handed (human) record is 3 1/2 days...\r
+ [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]\r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_sailing_record\r
+\r
+ ** Re:A small achievement... (Score:4, Informative)\r
+ (by careysub ( 976506 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ This is a 2 meter vessel, not a large racing hull built to be\r
+ fast (and nothing but fast). Using the page you link to, the\r
+ most useful comparison would be the single-handed records,\r
+ and the one from 1987 which was about 11.5 days was in a 26\r
+ meter hull! And this is the smallest vessel on the list. You\r
+ are probably not going to get a 2 meter vessel to tear along\r
+ at an average speed of 7.5 m/sec which would be needed for\r
+ that 11.5 day crossing.\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:3)\r
+ (by Solandri ( 704621 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ There have been a few sailboats in the 2 meter size range\r
+ which have made the transatlantic crossing.\r
+ \r
+ Hugo Vihlen aboard April Fool (1.8m) in 84 days in 1968,\r
+ though technically he never finished since he was picked\r
+ up by the USCG 6 miles offshore.\r
+ Tom MacNally aboard the Vera Hugh (1.64m) in 134 days in\r
+ 1993.\r
+ Hugo Vihlen again aboard the Father's Day (1.62m) in 115\r
+ days in 1993.\r
+ Tom MacNally unsuccessfully attempted the trip again\r
+ aboard a 1.19m craft in 1998. He passed away last year.\r
+ [1]Site with picture [microcruising.com]\r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1] http://www.microcruising.com/famoussmallboats.htm\r
+\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:3)\r
+ (by careysub ( 976506 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Also note that the world speed record for a radio-controlled\r
+ sailing vessel (which was also 2 meters long) is [1]157.65 km\r
+ in 23 hours 42 min [guinnessworldrecords.com] in the milder\r
+ waters of the Mediterranean. At that world record speed in a\r
+ small RC boat this challenge would have taken 32 days.\r
+ So 79 days in a boat not controlled by a human, and not\r
+ limited to a 24 hour period, in the open waters of the\r
+ Atlantic is not so shabby. The speed made good over that\r
+ whole journey is 40% of that 24 hour record.\r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1]\r
+ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/greatest-di-\r
+ stance-by-radio-controlled-model-sailing-ship-in-24-hours-(rc)\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:3)\r
+ (by arth1 ( 260657 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ > Sure the Atlantic can be a tough place, but 79 days?\r
+ The Mayflower took 66 days to cross, and was much bigger.\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** \r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by zlives ( 2009072 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ shipping containers are more profitable.\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** And now the jokes begin... (Score:1)\r
+ (by Jharish ( 101858 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ ..."I rowboat".\r
+ https://www.theonion.com/i-rowboat-1819583491\r
+\r
+ ** Re: (Score:2)\r
+ (by starless ( 60879 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Followed later by Cory Doctorow\r
+ [1]http://bestsciencefictionstori... [bestscienc...tories.com]\r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1]\r
+ http://bestsciencefictionstories.com/2009/03/29/i-row-boat-by-\r
+ cory-doctorow/\r
+\r
+\r
+ ** Description wrong? Not autonomous? (Score:5, Informative)\r
+ (by starless ( 60879 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ > For the first time an autonomous sailing robot...\r
+ From the linked article:\r
+ [1]https://www.apnews.com/f6d0e2a... [apnews.com]\r
+ > The Sailbuoy competed in the “unmanned” class, which allows\r
+ > operators to change its course along the way. There’s a separate\r
+ > “autonomous” class that prohibits any such communication.\r
+ >> \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ \r
+ [1] https://www.apnews.com/f6d0e2a099684468873ab48966590ada\r
+\r
+ ** So you crossed the sea, Columbot (Score:1)\r
+ (by DulcetTone ( 601692 ))\r
+\r
+ \r
+ Don't forget that indigenous robots have rights, too.\r
+\r
+\r
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