It is estimated that more than 95% of the Earth’s oceans remain unexplored. The problem of deep water research is mainly related to the difficulty of maintaining the charge of the camera batteries for a long time.

To overcome this hurdle, MIT researchers developed wireless and batteryless underwater camera, which they say is about 100,000 times more energy efficient than other underwater cameras. The device takes color photographseven in the dark at great depths, and sends them through the water without the need for cables.

Batteryless underwater camera uses

Since it does not require a power supply, the camera can work weeks by wire before being caught. This will allow scientists to search for new species in remote parts of the ocean, monitor water pollution and the growth of fish farmed.

However, one of the most interesting applications is climate monitoring. “We are building climate models, but there are no data for more than 95% of the ocean. This technology can help us build more accurate climate models and better understand how climate change is affecting the underwater world,” says Fadel Adib, author of a new article. He is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Science and director of the Signal Kinetics Group at the MIT Media Lab.

How does a camera work without a battery?

The camera uses sound work. The device turns into mechanical energy of sound waves that travel on water powered by electrical energy that powers the imaging and communications technology inside the chamber. This ingenious solution not only provides power to the device, but also allows it to transmit images wirelessly. The system uses sound waves to transmit image data back to recipientwhich reconstructs it at the other end.

Sound data can be transmitted long distances over water. For example, the low-frequency sounds made by whales can be heard thousands of miles away. The camera is nowhere near as wide, working at a distance of about 40 meters (130 feet), but this is already a great achievement.

The researchers’ idea was to create something with minimalist hardware, very low power consumption, and the ability to generate its own power underwater. piezoelectric transducers are used around the chamber to generate power. They produce an electrical signal when a mechanical force (such as a sound wave) is applied to them.

The transducers pick up sound waves from virtually any source, from a ship to marine life. It stores energy little by little, and once enough is generated to power everything, it takes a picture and transmits it back to the receiver.

Color photo in the dark

What’s particularly interesting about the setup is that while it produces color images, it does so using a monochrome sensor. The researchers also had to develop a lighting system for the camera using tri-color LEDs. The system takes three shots, each of which is highlighted in red, green, or blue. The images are then combined to create the final color photograph.

At the moment, the camera is only a working prototype, but engineers plan to improve the device to make it more practical. They hope they can increase the memory so they can take real-time photos and even record videos. Outreach is also on the list of goals.

Drones help researchers spot sharks near busy beaches
In the captured images, the sharks approached the bathers, but did not behave in a hostile manner.

Source: nature, DIY photography

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