Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created an autonomous underwater camera capable of taking color photographs in dark environments that is approximately 100,000 times more energy efficient than conventional underwater cameras and requires no battery.
The nifty device is powered by underwater sound waves - Image Credit: Adam Glanzman via EurekAlert
Powered by underwater sound waves
The camera transforms mechanical energy from sound waves moving through water into electrical energy. The device also employs sound waves to send data to a receiver that reconstructs the picture after the image has been captured and encoded.
In more detail, energy is generated using transducers constructed from piezoelectric materials placed around the device's exterior. Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that builds up in certain solid materials in response to applied mechanical stress
In practice, an underwater sound wave hits the transducers, making them vibrate; these vibrations get converted into electric power.
These underwater soundwaves can come from any source. Think of marine life or a passing boat. The device stores the collected energy until it has built up sufficient electricity to power its electronics.
Image Credit: Andrea Berg via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci
Useful applications
The researchers estimate that the device can run for weeks without requiring any maintenance. One of the major benefits of this new technology is that it doesn't require a power source, meaning that it is now much more manageable and cheaper for scientists to monitor remote areas of the ocean, track fish, look for new species, or track pollution levels.
According to the senior author of the underlying paper, Fadel Adib, the camera can also be very useful in providing data from the oceans to enhance climate models. Currently, about 95% of the ocean is not covered because of missing data.
If you are interested in more details about the device and how it works, be sure to check out the paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, listed below.
Sources and further reading:
Battery-Free Wireless Imaging of Underwater Environments (nature communications)
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