Tut tut
@StealthP3D, perhaps not the most constructive attitude, is it? Plucking up nodules with a floating robot and sending them up a hose like a vacuum cleaner is a clever idea in a needful area.
The couple behind the solar yacht company Silent Yachts outsourced the marine architecture and boat building, IIRC.
While it is true that the would be nodule collectors may need to bring aboard some further expertise on the engineering side and, likely, the money side, that is doable. Another response might be:
Great direction! I love, love the low impact plucking of the nodules.
The hose to raise the nodules seems like the weak link, at least out of the gate. It seems failure prone and costly to develop and to deploy, especially if you’re talking miles beneath the surface.
Since you’re developing the buoyant plucking robot, why not develop a second type of robot to ferry the nodules to a collector ship (or submarine)?
The multiple robots approach may give you better ability to scale from a tiny operation to a small to middling size operation while you prove out your approach—potentially adding the hose later. You’d also spread the failure risks across multiple units reducing the chance of a complete shutdown of the system if the hose fails.
The solar energy collection at the surface may help with the energy economics.
Perhaps they thought this through or perhaps not, but at least this approach engages folks, whereas what may be taken as "Pshaww" is off-putting.
Why is this relevant to Tesla and tech investors? We are living through an era of accelerating innovation. An open and encouraging, if critical, attitude towards innovative ideas will stand the investor in good stead.
and this low has been reached.
electrek.co
