Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) go deep. They can dive 1,300 to 4,000 feet-deep and also travel as much as 15,000 miles per year. These depths and distances make sperm whales and other whale species particularly difficult for scientists to follow and study.
A new autonomous underwater glider system aims to make that trek a little easier. The glider from Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative), detailed in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, follows sperm whale vocalizations without getting in their way. AI is embedded directly into the glider, which allows it to react in real-time to the whale’s sounds while underwater.
AI-enabled underwater glider
Why gliders?
In addition to their long journeys and impressive diving, collecting long-term acoustic data has been difficult because traditional tags typically remain attached to the whales for only one to three days.
Autonomous underwater gliders are a more recent addition to whale tracking. They can detect the presence of whales while disturbing them as little as possible. According to the team, the new glider can actively follow whales based on their sounds. It could potentially monitor sperm whale populations and collect data for months at a time.
“This technology opens an entirely new dimension to studying whales underwater in their natural environment,” said David Gruber, the Founder and President of Project CETI. “We can now collect long-term communication information never before dreamed possible—like how a baby whale learns its clan-specific dialects as we can now listen to individual whales for extended periods.”
An actually helpful ‘backseat driver’
All underwater gliders have a navigation computer that controls its movement. In CETI’s new system, the team developed
