Boaty McBoatFace

Boaty McBoatface is the British lead boat in a fleet of three robotic Autosub Long Range class of lithium battery-powered autonomous underwater vehicles. It is used for scientific research, and is carried onboard the polar scientific research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough. 'Boaty', as it is affectionately known, will be the focal point of the Polar Explorer Programme of the UK Government. Boaty McBoatface, and her two fleet-mates, part of the UK National Marine Equipment Pool, are owned by the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, part of the Natural Environment Research Council; and operated by the British Antarctic Survey, which is headquartered in Cambridge, England, and is also part of NERC. Because of its complexity and its extended range, NERC classifies Boaty as an 'autosub long range autonomous underwater vehicle'. With her onboard sensors, Boaty will be mapping the movement of deep waters which play a vital role in regulating the Earth's climate.