Technabob » marine

Dolphin Soldiers: Right Out of Cyberpunk

Range — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:30:45 +0000

For a moment, I thought this was a joke because I clearly remember dolphin soldiers from a few science-fiction settings (Johnny Mnemonic, Ghost in the Shell, etc), like Cyberpunk, but it looks like that there actually are dolphin soldiers. Unsurprisingly, they work for the US Navy.

Dolphins are pretty smart, so it makes sense to use them in war theaters, since dogs are already used. The Navy has been studying the use of these mammals since the 1950s. This time around, they actually sent in four bottle-nosed dolphins into the Pacific. They were trained to find underwater mines and demonstrated their abilities during Operation Trident Fury, a joint US-Canadian military exercise earlier this month off the coast of Vancouver.

The dolphins are part of the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program, which has trained sea lions, seals, and dolphins to find mines and enemy divers. They were used successfully during the Iraq War.

[via SeattlePi via Make:]

Rechargeable Ship Runs on Battery Power

Range — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:59:43 +0000

I don’t know if this is that revolutionary, but for a moment I was impressed with the fact that this battery-powered ferry can travel about 80 km with 800 passengers on board.

IHI Marine United is the maker of this plug-in ship that is powered by lithium-ion batteries. This ship is called the Zero Emission Electric Propulsion Ship. I’m not surprised that it’s Japanese with a name like that.

The ship can recharge its batteries at the ports it visits. The design prototype will be 100 feet long and will carry 800 people, and the amount of electricity needed to power it is 200 to 300 times more than what’s needed for an electric car.

80 km, that’s about 50 miles, which isn’t that long, but it makes sense for a ferry that makes frequent, short trips to be powered by electricity. The company hopes to develop a commercial vessel by 2015.

[via FarEastGizmos]

Aquapict: Jellyfish Without the Sting

Technabob — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:45:11 +0000

This desktop aquarium lets you enjoy the beauty of some of earth’s most mysterious creatures from the comfort of your own home.

The Banpresto Aquapict Jellyfish Aquarium features three amazingly real looking undersea critters (made from silicone,) and illuminates them with color-changing LEDs to give them an other-worldly glow. Now you can get up close and personal with these marine invertebrates, without the risk of a painful sting.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Originally available only in Japan, the Aquapict is available now from importer AudioCubes for $159.

The High Seas Go High Definition

Technabob — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:49:58 +0000

Those of you lucky enough to own a boat can now watch high definition satellite TV when you head out to sea. This marine satellite antenna system continually adjusts to point at the correct location in the skies for you to watch HD satellite programming wherever you go.

Raymarine offers a variety of satellite television antennae designed to work even in extreme weather and sea conditions. The systems dynamically correct their beam to ensure uninterrupted TV viewing.

Complete systems including an antenna, control unit and an HD DirecTV receiver range from about $7,000 to about $9,000. I suppose that if you can afford to own a boat big enough to need an HDTV, that kind of money is just a drop in the bucket.