In the Arctic, drones and tethered balloons can make crucial atmospheric measurements to provide a unique perspective on an environment particularly vulnerable to climate change.
drones & ROVs
Posted inScience Updates
Drones in a Cold Climate
As climate change reshapes the Earth's polar regions, scientists turn to drone-mounted cameras to measure sea ice. One expedition found out that flying drones near Antarctica isn't easy.
Posted inNews
Autonomous Undersea Technologies to Vie for New XPRIZE
The competition aims at improved health and understanding of Earth's oceans by spurring teams to devise better robotic technologies for seafloor mapping and exploration.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Underwater Gliders Find Swirling Vortices of Warm, Salty Water
Vortices formed off the west coast of Sardinia could play a large role in Mediterranean water circulation and mixing and are significant for marine ecosystems and regional climate.
Posted inScience Updates
Drone Squadron to Take Earth Monitoring to New Heights
Scientists will soon be able to call on a community fleet of unmanned aircraft systems to perform environmental studies.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Underwater Robot Tracked Ocean Sediment During Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy moved a lot of debris, but where did it all end up?
Posted inFeatures
Human and Robotic Missions: To the Moon Again and Beyond
Robotic probes could help us collect samples from the Moon, potentially revealing the origins of our solar system.
Posted inFeatures
How Robotic Probes Helped Humans Explore the Moon—And May Again
Robotic probes—including Ranger VIII, launched 50 years ago this week—paved the way for humankind’s giant leap to the Moon. This history may help guide future plans for lunar exploration.
Posted inNews
Robot Explores Under-Ice Habitats in the Arctic
The Nereid Under Ice vehicle is helping scientists to explore regions under Arctic sea ice and the biological phenomena that are present there.
Posted inNews
NOAA Research Vessel Explores Atlantic Ocean Seamounts
NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer and two remotely operated vehicles help scientists investigate creatures, habitat, and geology on and near New England seamounts.