[matt4077]

I've actually been thinking about this, and, on a small scale, it should be possibly with almost no budget (i. e. retrofitting an RC model with solar power, an arduino, GPS/WIFI/Cellular). Some thoughts:

- Submarines aren't great because solar is your best source for power, and you don't want to divide each day to "work" and "rest" because you need to recharge on the surface.

- Electric propulsion will also require some rather substantial solar setup.

For these reasons, I think either "passive" sensors just following the currents, or sailing vessels, are better candidates at first.

There's also the "glider" concept, where you fill/empty a ballast tank and achieve forward momentum by changing depth while having an aerodynamically-shaped hull. I'm wondering if these could also drag a turbine for electric power, but I fear that idea is coming dangerously close to breaking the laws of thermodynamics.

- Satellite internet is, unfortunately, too expensive for anything beyond short status codes / coordinates / commands. It's something like 10 cents for every 80bytes. You'd need to navigate to coastal waters and pick up cellular/wifi signals to transmit the payloads.

[jpm_sd]

My company offers this exact thing as a commercial service: (Solar-powered Sailing-aaS?) http://www.saildrone.com

[matt4077]

Very cool! If I were US-based, I'd apply for a job :)