A centuries-old sailor’s hack enters the ecologist’s toolkit.
navigation
Navigating the Pacific with Wind, Waves, and Stars
Ancient Polynesian voyagers sailed thousands of kilometers with no maps or compasses; they followed nature’s clues. Using the same tools, the Moananuiākea Voyage will set sail from Alaska and circle the Pacific.
A New Mayflower, Named for the Past, Autonomously Navigates the Future
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ crossing, a ship guided by an AI captain will embark on the same journey, doing science along the way.
Autonomous Vehicles Could Benefit from Nature
A team of researchers at the University of Michigan is looking to animals to find new ways for autonomous vehicles to navigate through the environment.
Soil Chips Help Scientists Spy on Fungal Navigation
Soil chips provide a micrometer-resolution window into life underfoot, shedding light on how fungi behave when navigating soil’s mazes.
Very Good Space Boys: Robotic Dogs May Dig Into Martian Caves
Four-legged, autonomous robots known as “Mars Dogs” will explore previously inaccessible caves to look for signs of life and potential locations for future human colonies.
Internal Compass Guides Salmon’s Incredible Journey
New study finds evidence that magnetite particles play a role in fish navigation.
New Analysis Helps Manage Risks to Shipping in the Great Lakes
Modeling of mysteriously fluctuating water levels in the Great Lakes has helped to optimize the prices of shipping insurance contracts along with investments in dredging navigation channels.
Snapping Shrimp Pump Up the Volume in Warmer Water
As the ocean warms because of climate change, the louder din could mask other marine animals’ calls used to navigate, forage, and find mates.
Underground Robots: How Robotics Is Changing the Mining Industry
From exploring flooded sites to providing alerts, use of robotics aims to “increase the arsenal of tools that can help miners work more safely and efficiently.”