The
National Oceanography Centre’s autonomous submersible the Autosub Long Range
(ALR) is the centrepiece of a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London,
which explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in our daily lives.
The free exhibition, Driverless:
Who is in control? runs until October 2020 and is expected to
be seen by more than a million and a half visitors.
Power for the ALR is provided by Steatite battery packs. The Lithium primary
battery packs are housed in the forward of 2 forged spheres contained within
the plastic housing of the vehicle.
Designed to operate at depths of up to 6,000m, the ALR is fully autonomous and
able to run unaided for weeks at a time. Reliability of the battery system
is therefore of paramount importance with the batteries needing to
provide a continuous source of power to the vehicle in temperatures as low as
4°c.
