Tiny autonomous boat prepares to cross the Atlantic Ocean

Tiny autonomous boat prepares to cross the Atlantic Ocean

Remember that bare bones $35 Raspberry Pi computer that went on sale earlier this year? A guy called Greg Holloway has found a use for his, guiding a tiny unmanned boat across the Atlantic Ocean with no outside assistance.
The boat will be powered by a 130 watt solar panel, driving an electric rudder and propeller. A GPS connected to the Raspberry Pi will keep the vessel on course, while a webcam will record the adventure for prosperity.

Before setting out across the big bad ocean, Holloway has built a simple proof of concept vehicle to test his engineering. Built around a 20 inch hull used for radio controlled model boats, the tiny vessel protects the delicate electronics in what appears to be a large Tupperware style container.
I just hope he plans to built something a little more rugged for the actual ocean journey. It's hard to imagine that little Tupperware box surviving the 60 foot swells you can get in the middle of the ocean, never mind what would happen if some huge freighter tries to run it over.