Saildrone: 48 circumnavigations, 89 years at sea

California-based company Saildrone reported a milestone - a fleet of maritime drones has traveled a total of 1 million nautical miles, and the total duration of missions has reached 32,000 days. For comparison, these figures are equivalent to approximately 48 circumnavigations and 89 years at sea per vessel.

While it may seem like just a publicity stunt, Saildrone's electric autonomous boats are actively being used in the interests of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States to collect data on climate change and to map the seabed. Saildrone's fleet consists of 136 devices of three types.

Sources: dronedj.com; image source: saildrone.com