BC Shipping News featured a news story on the museum exhibit and educational program developed by Maritime Museums of BC and the Atlantic for the Autonomous Boat Project. Read the article below or on their website.
MARITIME MUSEUM OF BC AND MARITIME MUSEUM OF THE ATLANTIC ARE TEAMING UP WITH ANGUS ADVENTURES TO ATTEMPT AUTONOMOUS BOAT CROSSING OF ATLANTIC OCEAN
by BC Shipping News / Dec. 4, 2017
Crossing would be first successful attempt…
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia is pleased to announce plans to collaborate with Angus Adventures and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on the Autonomous Boat Project. Angus Adventures has already begun testing their autonomous boat off British Columbia’s coast, with plans to launch the boat off L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland in summer 2018, in hopes of completing the 5,000 km journey to Ireland. Although twenty-seven autonomous boats have attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean, none have been successful.
Julie and Colin Angus of Angus Adventures have achieved many quests bordering on the impossible; from completing the first muscle-powered journey around the world to rowing unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean. “Exploration and adventure allow us to demonstrate the importance of pushing boundaries, challenging ourselves, and appreciating the beauty of our environment. Utilizing cutting edge technology and innovation, the Autonomous Boat Project will engage people through these values, striving to not only achieve the first unmanned autonomous boat crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, but also to capture important scientific data along the way,” said the pair.
To engage the public with this ongoing story, an exhibit on the Autonomous Boat Project will be on display at the Maritime Museum of BC and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and offered as a travelling exhibit for formal and informal learning institutions across Canada. “We are very pleased to be collaborating with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for the first time on a project that will connect us coast to coast. Given the great Canadian adventurers leading the project and that the project is Canadian-driven, we hope this national initiative helps educate fellow Canadians about our strong connection to our World’s oceans and instills a sense of national pride in what the project is attempting to do. Sending an autonomous craft across the Atlantic Ocean has never been successfully accomplished before and we are excited about educating the public about the science and innovation related to this project,” said David Leverton, Executive Director of the Maritime Museum of BC. The Maritime Museum of BC will be developing educational materials for the project focused on ocean exploration, environment, and technology, accessible online for educators across Canada.
Students from across Canada will be offered a chance to submit digital messages of support for the project that will be carried across the ocean. “We will also be looking for feedback from students on the importance of protecting our World’s oceans and what types of roles autonomous boats may play in the future in better understanding climate change and the health of our marine environments.” stated David Leverton.
