Sports

Tiverton Team Aspires for World's First Unmanned, Transatlantic Trip Above Water

A Tiverton team hopes to make world history this summer when its unmanned vessel travels from Tiverton to Spain in the first unmanned, transatlantic voyage.

 

Move over Charles Lindbergh. Another transatlantic voyage is quickly gaining fame. 

It started out as a joke by a bunch of Tiverton friends. Three years later, the team of friends are attempting to complete the first unmanned, transatlantic voyage above water. 

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"We found something that hasn't been done before," said Tiverton's Dylan Rodriguez, 21, an engineering student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Dylan and his friends worked for the past three summers to build an unmanned, solar-powered boat, which they've affectionately named "Scout." They plan to launch the autonomous, robotic vessel across the Atlantic Ocean this summer. 

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Scout will be on its own once it leaves Tiverton on its 3,400-mile trip across the ocean. 

The 13-foot long boat will be tracked remotely from Fogland Beach in Tiverton, Rhode Island, to a yet-to-be-determined location in Spain. The public will be able to follow the boat over several months on a special website expected to launch later this summer. 

If successful, Scout is expected to become the first unmanned boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean above water. 

In 2009, a robotic vessel, named "The Scarlet Knight," made the first underwater transatlantic trip. In November 2012, a retired NATO scientist attempted to launch his toy boat across the Atlantic, but was unsuccessful. 

"An Irish team holds the current record," Rodriguez said. "About 60 miles." 

Rodriguez and his team hope to break that record. Scout's launch is expected within the next three weeks, but no firm date is set.

The three-year project has not been inexpensive. The team raised $3,500 through Kickstarter and funded the rest out-of-pocket. Their only sponsor, Jamestown Distributor, has also helped fund the nearly $6,000 venture. 

Rodriguez and team member, Brendan Prior, 22, of Tiverton, talk more about Scout and the project in the videos featured above.

Other members of the team include friends Max Kramers, 23, of Tiverton; Dan Flanigan, 21, of Tiverton; Dan's brother, Mike Flanigan, 19, also of Tiverton; and Ryan Muller, 21, of Massachusetts. 

You can follow and learn more about Scout by visiting the team's Facebook page, "Scout-The Autonomous Translatlantic Robot, here or follow @ScoutTRANSAT on Twitter. 


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