Air, sea drones put through their paces on Solent testing range More roboats and autonomous flying machines will be tested around the Solent after a consortium of companies was handed £1.5m to set up a drone test range. The idea is to use one of Britain's most sheltered sea areas for testing robot boats and air vehicles. Nestled between Southampton and the Isle of Wight, the Solent has all …
"At least one flying drone was lost overboard from a civilian testbed ship after its operator made a mistake during takeoff and accidentally commanded it to backflip into the icy waters of the Minch, off Scotland's Atlantic coast."
When I do that, it just hits the basement floor, and I might have to replace a prop.
Last Friday there was a boat towing an Unmanned Surface Vehicle 'SeaWorker 5' out of Portsmouth Harbour into the Solent. A short while later the exploration vessel 'Seabed Constructor' sailed out from the harbour into the Solent, carrying another four identical USVs on deck.
"Nestled between Southampton and the Isle of Wight, the Solent has all the features of a busy sea area – big commercial ships, warships, weekend yacht sailors, high-speed hovercraft – while not being a million miles out to sea."
But mostly pubs... some great pubs around that area. And cricket... at low water on the Bramble Bank.
They might even have some success considering the almighty clusterfuck the hovercraft operator, Hovertravel, have made of their upgrade programme.
They comissioned two new craft from Griffon Hoverwork to replace their two aging, but proven AP1-88 100s. These were brought into service last summer but are so unreliable that the AP1-88s still seem to do most of the work.
The new craft also have a vomit-inducing see-saw motion that is guaranteed to have you feeling queasy in anything above a flat calm.
At least one flying drone was lost overboard from a civilian testbed ship after its operator made a mistake during takeoff and accidentally commanded it to backflip into the icy waters of the Minch, off Scotland's Atlantic coast.
Are we sure it wasn't preceded by "Hey guys, hold my beer"?
Southampton itself is 3 or 4 miles from the Solent up Southampton Water so unless Southampton Water is now part of the Solent rather than the distinct area locals see it as then its not on the Solent.
Oh and resident of Portsmouth might take exception too given that Pompey does actually sit on the Solent.
Might be geographical pedantry but as someone who lived in the area for 20 odd yrs the local take these things very seriously, especially the Skates.
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