Gallery: The Drone That Will Sail Itself Around the World
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Richard Jenkins (right) designed the sailing robot; Dylan Owens handles the electronics.
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Jenkins’ team has built a 40-foot-high test wing that could help power ferries in the San Francisco Bay.
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In his Alameda workshop, Richard Jenkins (left) works with technician Vincent Felice and fabricator Damon Smith to build the hull of a new Saildrone.
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Saildrone's "wing" is not floppy like a typical sailboat; it made of carbon fiber. Even weirder: a "tail," sparred through the middle, keeps the wing pointed at an optimal angle to the wind at all times.
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Saildrone follows a preselected route programmed into its computer. But in a pinch, the autonomous boat can also be moved manually—with a PlayStation controller.
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Richard Jenkins fronts Saildrone's small crew. From left, photographed outside company headquarters: Jenkins, Damon Smith (fabricator), Vincent Felice (technician) and Dylan Owens (chief technology officer).
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A 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Alameda, California serves as Saildrone's headquarters and Jenkins' workshop. The surrounding complex used to house a U.S. Navy base.
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Dylan Owens (left) and Jenkins (right) oversee a Saildrone test run in the San Francisco Bay.
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Saildrone passes underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, recreating the beginning of its solo sail to Hawaii in October 2013.
