--- title: "Scientists Sent a Robot Into the Ferocious Hurricane Fiona" description: "A storm tech startup sent one of its robots into the devastating Hurricane Fiona and captured unbelievable video of its huge waves and winds." date: "2022-09-26" modified: "2022-09-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-robot-hurricane-fiona" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "hurricane" - "robots" - "storm chasing" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Sent a Robot Into the Ferocious Hurricane Fiona ![A storm tech startup sent one of its robots into the devastating Hurricane Fiona and captured unbelievable video of its huge waves and winds.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Eye of the Storm Hey kids, wanna see the inside of a hurricane? Now you can, thanks to a startup called Saildrone and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which last week launched their storm robots directly into Hurricane Fiona, a ferocious storm whose damage continues to [ravage Puerto Rico]() and [Canada's east coast](). The footage itself of the eye of this [Category 1 storm]() is absolutely stunning, of course — how often does one get to see [50-foot waves]() and winds higher than 100 mph up close? — but these [orange parasail-esque robots]() themselves are themselves a sight to behold. https://twitter.com/caribouwho/status/1573181198113083392 ## Rugged Robots The stormbot deployed during Fiona is named the SD 1078, and as Saildrone notes in a [press release](), this autonomous and crewless storm chaser is [one of seven]() that the startup and the NOAA have currently deployed around the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Together, the fleet is "gathering data around the clock to help understand the physical processes of hurricanes," the release boasts. As awe inspiring as the footage from within Fiona is, these robots serve another purpose beyond satisfying our morbid curiosity — they also provide important information about storms like Fiona or Ian, which is currently [brewing in the Caribbean Sea]() and set to make landfall in Florida soon. ## Data Me This Beyond just capturing imagery and data *during* storms, the Saildrone fleet is also helping oceanic scientists better understand hurricanes and tropical storms before, during, and after they wreak havoc. "Combining in situ ocean data with a better understanding of the ocean floor will help us predict both storm intensity and storm surges," CEO Richard Jenkins said in a [release]() issued in August, "keeping our coastal communities safer from these destructive events." Getting an unprecedented peek into the belly of a hurricane is a privilege formerly reserved for unwitting coastal and island residents or the [storm chasing set](). Now, we robots can take footage inside storms for us — and help us understand these natural disasters a little better, too. **More storminess:** [*Supply Chain Shortages Making Hurricane Season Even Scarier*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()