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Australia [link] and other countries often affix battery-powered tracking devices onto sharks for research and public safety purposes. It is not a trivial effort to catch an individual shark in order to affix the tag. These tagging devices are good for several years until the battery fails at which
point they become useless.
This invention adds a small turbine to the device which, when powered by the shark's never-ending swimming, recharges the battery. It should be small enough to not impede the animals swimming but large enough to provide the trickle charge. Blockages caused by seaweed, etcetera would be an issue but a small cone-shaped cage on the front might alleviate the problem. Eventually the blockage should clear and re-charging commence.
Electronic Tags monitor Great White's presence.
http://www.news.com...i5thn-1226747291071 Not that it helped much in this case! [AusCan531, Oct 26 2013]
[link]
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A slightly scaled-up version of this could solve the perennial problem of how to power the frickin' lasers. [+] |
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Oh good (+). I was picturing wind turbines from the title and thought this was maybe a prelude to Sharknado. |
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If I hear the words "frickin laser" one more time I'm
going to go on a murdering spree. |
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Then please read aloud the following phrase: |
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Given that sea water is electrically conductive, would this be possible without mechanical movement? I mean, I like turbines as much as anyone, but eliminating moving parts would help with the seaweed problem. |
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Better than kangaroo on a treadmill. |
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Who is the end user: the shark? |
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Did you do that on the porpoise? |
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I think you should just hire the remoras to check in more frequently and report on the location of their hosts. |
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For great whites and several others you don't need a battery at all since they basically never stop swimming. |
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If this were reversible at times of need, it could be used to provide extra thrust to the shark. That might help improve acceptibility. |
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//Better than kangaroo on a treadmill.// Marked-for-tagline. |
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//might improve acceptability.// |
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I don't believe that the sharks are asked their opinions
about wearing the devices. |
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Or maybe it's a decoy operation. We track that shark all around the world and conclude that they spend their time traveling across the open ocean, but really most of them are lurking ready to strike. When it looks like we're going on a hunting/taging expedition, one of the sharks that is already tagged lets himself get caught to protect the others. |
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They say shark attacks are rare, but we only hear about them if there are survivors. |
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If the turbine could also be used to flip the shark
over, which disables the shark (as shown on a bbc
program I once watched) it could also save lives and
limbs. but then that would be Turbine powered
Sharks, not exactly this idea's title. |
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