Have you ever read a news story, heavy on "facts" but short on investable details about the companies involved, and wondered: "Gee, could my stock be part of that?"
I have. In fact, ever since the Deepwater Horizon exploded down in the Gulf of Mexico, hardly a day has gone by without one news article or another mentioning how "robotic submarines are being used to observe this," and "robots are doing that." Seems underwater robots are very busy these days, trying to get a handle on the scale of the disaster, and bring BP's
But which robots, exactly? Who makes them? And how can I invest in them?
Well, today we got one answer.
iRobot glides to the rescue
In a press release this morning, Motley Fool Rule Breakers recommendation iRobot
Granted, the bulk of the work at the "Macondo Prospect" (the well Deepwater Horizon was drilling) must still be done by OPR (Other People's Robots). BP named Oceaneering International
Revenue streams unleashed
But it can help with keeping track of the disaster. Unlike Oceaneering's typical robots, tethered to their operators on the surface, the unleashed Seaglider is free to roam the oceans across "thousands of miles." According to iRobot: "Seaglider can provide up to 10 months of continuous operation, and data can be transmitted via satellite several times each day to anywhere in the world."
BP warns that it could take as long as August before it can get relief wells drilled, and the leak stopped for good. Yet the slick already extends across some 2,500 square miles in area on the surface, and also underwater. As it expands, in area and in volume, we may need UUVs like Seaglider to keep track of it over the months (years?) to come.
Sounds like iRobot has just discovered a new revenue plume ... er, stream.