The Massachusetts Institute of Technology "MIT" in the United States has developed a new navigation system designed for underwater use, and is also characterized by being energy-saving and does not require batteries, according to a report published by Techcrunch.
The GPS cannot work underwater, because radio waves do not transmit well in water (they are not water-friendly as described by the report).
In return, submarines use sonar, which emits sound waves and measures their reflection from other underwater objects and surfaces.
However, sonar and other audio signaling methods require energy, which is why the new MIT system without batteries has so much potential.
The new system is a type of battery-free audio navigation system that uses signals already in the environment rather than creating its own.
The system works by using piezoelectric materials that generate an electrical charge upon collision with mechanical pressure, including the stress caused by the impact of a sound wave on it.
The researchers devised a way for these sensors to translate sound wave information into a binary code, which they used to measure things like the ocean temperature or its salt content, but they hypothesized that it could also be used to determine location information.
The system and future versions that rely on the same technology could enable future robotic submarines to better map the ocean floor, and carry out all kinds of robotic surveillance and undersea navigation.