Alternative Energy Harvesting for Small Watercraft

The capabilities and mission profile of unmanned watercraft are often significantly limited by the availability of onboard energy. The issue of energy limitation becomes more severe for autonomous systems that are deployed far from shore for extended periods of time due to the difficulties associated with refueling or recharging their power supplies under these conditions. Infoscitex Corporation (IST), SRI International (SRI), and Pennsylvania State University"s Applied Research Lab (ARL) are proposing to address this problem by developing a modular hydrokinetic energy harvesting solution that is easy to transport, handle, and install. This solution will be accomplished by utilizing a relatively new energy generation technology based on electroactive polymers (EAPs), also sometimes known as electroactive polymer artificial muscle (EPAM). These materials provide the ability to produce cost-effective wave or vibration harvesting systems that are simple, efficient, rugged, and reliable, easy to install and highly adaptable and scalable.