Researchers at Aberystwyth University have created a sailing robot that may become the first unmanned boat to cross an ocean using wind power, the Times of London reports.
In October the researchers’ boat, named Pinta, will race against seven other robotic crafts also attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean. If any of the boats are successful, they could “open up all the oceans to environmental monitoring by robots,” Mark Neal, an Aberystwyth computer-science professor, told the Times.
The Pinta’s competitors include entries from several other universities and private teams.
There have been other unmanned transportation craft competitions that have excited academics, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s driverless car contest. —Catherine Rampell
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.