Putt Putt, 1300KM

What's the average speed of craft?

About the speed of a 1 year old baby boy crawling across the floor at full tilt, to escape grandma....

...and snappy takes the lead, these smooth carpet conditions seem to be helping, but wait droopy drawers is making a move, no wait he veers wildly off course distracted by who knows what...this is pandemonium!

Well, that was mean!

Since you keep coming back with that little solar driven ocean rider I just wanted to let you know that there is alternative, tested drives out there that use wave energy for the drive.

Check out the site.

http://www.liquid-robotics.com/platform/how-it-works/

to me the heart of the story is 2 guys that are self funded, an EE and an ME that crafted an untested autonomous design and left the coast of the US on a wing and a prayer.there is no corporate angle. I admire their willingness to dare. it's an American thing that was once commonplace before the whole PC thing took over like a cancer

I guess they all started like this. What would you say if they turn this into business? What will you say if they are unsuccessful because the competition has the better idea?

Nothing wrong with having a dream and make it work. Only if it works and you can not fulfil your dream you have a problem.

Let hope they can do both!

I don't see a business model. i weights 500 lbs. most of that is battery weight.. its no speedster.I think the fastest time I've seen is around 5KPH, usually around 1KPH when fighting wind and current.1.88KPH@ this moment.so passangers are out, no room for cargo with this size craft but there are autonomous ships in your very near future and 18 wheelers. all made possible by layers of technology including GPS sats the world is changing fast

It would be enough to have it floating in the ocean and collect data. Thats why the wave glider has an advantage because it can use the solar power for the instruments and communication instead for the drive.

......1340 right now

A couple of really obvious points

1340km is less than 1/4 of the crossing than 1/3 - the shortest crossing to Scotland is 3000 miles so to Portugal is going to easily be 3500 miles (5600km).

Also I wonder if the distance travelled is actual distance or useful distance. I see the current track is an awfully big zig zag. In the last 6 days (almost exactly) they have covered 130 km along the target track so <1km/h but are now 90km north of the target track having looped south then north and over the last 7 hrs their track is ENE heading back to the US. OK so its been night time for that period so they have no power but for the last 6 days they haven't really moved properly along their target trajectory.

I do get the whole self made project excitement here but it strikes me that a few test runs on the Great Lakes would have at least revealed the issues with lack of power overnight and the need to replenish batteries to keep the motor turning overnight

what a negative dude

The above is a self funded program to reduce the heat in the waters of places like
the Great Barrier Reef on the NE side of Australia. There are promises of lots of
Fed money to monitor the worsening situation but not one dollar to fund a flotilla of
self powered craft that could also use the extracted heat from the sea to self manage
the climate heat reduction program while also resetting the pH balance of the oceans
for improved coral health.

The craft is semi submersible to self protect itself in the event of cyclones etc, by
positioning itself just below the sea level. Yes, there are also defence applications,
and an Australian Defence Export Control Order advisory (DECO 120337), but the
Australian Government to date have not even wanted to commit funds for a trial of
the technology. OK, enough of the rantings!!!

wtf was that all about?

There are many private people have proposed a range of solar powered craft and other vehicles
for a range of purposes. The Putt Putt effort is but one of many. They are to be commended for
their efforts. But dare I say it, they are not the only ones.

This is fun!!!

Impressive! Is this a prototype for a new Amazon delivery drone?

Amazon Air

if you live on a beach in Portugal and need a package from Boston

Wow 15 miles, that is impressive...