Teledyne Marine’s Slocum G2 Glider named Silbo, manufactured by Teledyne Webb Research, has completed an over 4-year journey that circumnavigated the Atlantic Ocean in four legs, a first for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).

In all, Silbo covered 22,744 km and spent roughly 1,273 days at sea.  

During Silbo’s incredible journey, it collected hurricane data, corrected current models, and provided close to 5000 CTD casts that aided metalogical forecasting. With partners from Rutgers University and its student base, UVI, PLOCAN, UGCLP, the Marine Institute, and others, Silbo also participated in the Challenger glider mission.

Silbo has been a test bed for many new engineering hardware and software features for both existing and next generation Slocum gliders. Recent legs have provided data on new battery configurations, advanced software, and techniques for piloting long endurance missions and minimizing biofouling.  Silbo’s accomplishments have been critical in the glider community’s understanding of techniques used to increase robot durations at sea.  

— Read on www.oceannews.com/news/science-technology/slocum-glider-silbo-circumnavigates-the-atlantic-ocean