Weatherwatch: Underwater robots feed data to meteorologists

While recording sounds from whales and other marine life in remote areas, these machines collect information that can improve forecastingIs it a bird? Is it a fish? No, it's a robot. Scientists are deploying silent gliding robots to swoosh beneath the ocean waves, recording the singing of whales, clicks of dolphins, pitter-pattering of raindrops, humming of ship motors and crashing of waves during a storm. These new torpedo-shaped robots are remotely controlled by pilots, using satellite to communicate. They are about the same size as a small person and can dive to depths of 1,000 metres (330 feet) and travel the seas for months at a time. Continue reading...