Ocean gliders - technology, economics drivers, and roadmap

Underwater glider technology is becoming accepted as a rapidly maturing Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (‘AUV’) technology with great potential. Yet after two decades this very powerful AUV technology is still in the infancy compared to other research tools for ocean exploration and other unmanned systems. As underwater glider technology continues to advance and become more useful, its proliferation is likely to be more driven by economics than by technical capabilities.