Scientists estimate that more than 95 percent of Earth’s oceans have never been observed, which means we have seen less of our planet’s ocean than we have the far side of the moon or the surface of Mars. The high cost of powering an underwater camera for a long time, by tying it to a research boat or sending a ship to recharge its batteries, is a steep challenge preventing widespread undersea exploration.
MIT researchers have taken a major step to overcome this problem by developing a battery-free, wireless underwater camera that is about 100,000 times more than other undersea cameras. The device takes color photos, even in dark underwater environments, and transmits image data wirelessly through the water.
The autonomous camera is powered by sound. It transforms mechanical energy from sound waves traveling through water into electrical energy that powers its imaging and communications equipment. After capturing and encoding (编码) image data, the camera also uses sound waves to transmit data to a receiver that reconstructs the image.
Because it doesn’t need a power source, the camera could run for weeks on end before retrieval, enabling scientists to search remote parts of the ocean for new species. It could also be used to capture images of ocean pollution or monitor the health and growth of fish raised in aquaculture farms.
“One of the most exciting applications of this camera for me personally is in the context of climate monitoring. We are building climate models, but we are missing data from over 95 percent of the ocean. This technology could help us build more accurate climate models and better understand how climate change impacts the underwater world,” says Fadel Adib, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
【小题1】What does paragraph l mainly tell us?| A．The introduction of new batteries. |
| B．The emphasis on scientists’ leading work. |
| C．The advertisement for underwater cameras. |
| D．The difficulty of widespread undersea exploration. |
| A．It is charged by batteries. |
| B．It uses sound waves to transmit data. |
| C．It changes sound waves into water energy. |
| D．It changes mechanical energy into electrical energy. |
| A．Being fetched. | B．Being destroyed. |
| C．Being out of control. | D．Being reconstructed. |
| A．It affects climate change efficiently. |
| B．It will be widely used in some fields. |
| C．It will help know more about Mars’ climate. |
| D．It monitors the health and growth of new species. |
