Intel set to Power Polar Explorer Ben Saunders' Historic Scott Expedition

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Intel

05 Jun, 2013, 10:00 GMT

SANTA CLARA, California, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor to ensure Ben Saunders South Pole journey is a 21st Century expedition

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

  • Polar explorer Ben Saunders and his partner Tarka L'Herpiniere will attempt to be the first people to complete the 1800 mile return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole which British Royal Navy Captain Robert Scott famously attempted 1910-1912.
  • The expedition will utilise Ultrabook devices powered by new 4th generation Intel® Core™ processor technology to achieve unprecedented levels of communication, and record vital data from the Polar region, in temperatures of -40C.
  • Ben will be able to update Twitter, Facebook and blog content along the way, as well as upload video content for the dedicated Scott Expedition YouTube channel. This is a 21st Century expedition, which thanks to Intel technology can be shared more widely than ever before.

Intel® Corporation is proud to announce that it is the technology sponsor for polar explorer Ben Saunders' attempt to replicate the Terra Nova expedition - a return trip from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole that British Royal Navy Captain Robert Falcon Scott attempted in 1912 and that no person has completed since.

Intel's ground-breaking 4th generation Intel® Core™ processor technology will power the expedition, enabling Ben to communicate with his supporters during his 1800 mile round trip, as well as record vital data from the region.

Ben will be equipped with a 4th Generation Intel Core processor powered Sony VAIO® Pro Ultrabook™, which at jus 870g is the lightest Ultrabook yet.  This makes Ben one of the first people to use the latest Intel® Core™ processor technology. He will connect to the Internet using an Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) device. The NUC will have a 24/7 data connection via satellite phone to a server in London and both it and the Ultrabook device will charge via solar panels attached to a specially designed sled. Ben will be able to upload video, photos, data and blog content with minimal delay, enabling him to share his journey, as it happens, with the world.

The Polar region that the expedition will travel through is so remote that data gathered by Scott's original expedition team in 1912 remains one of its most complete sources of documentation, and is still used by climate scientists to this day.

The technology used for the expedition will operate in temperatures of -45o; conditions which have been replicated in Intel's UK labs for testing. Ultrabooks and NUCs like those being used by Ben have been frozen in Intel thermal chambers, defrosted and operated, then frozen again overnight for periods of months at a time to benchmark their performance when exposed to extended periods of extreme cold.

The 4th Generation Intel Core processor that will power Ben's Ultrabook marks a revolution in computing technology. Features such as significantly increased battery life, made possible by improvements in battery efficiency; operation speeds, thanks to more processing power, and decreased size and weight, thanks to advancements in Intel chip technology, enable it to power unprecedented communication from the South Pole.

Commenting on Intel's support of the Scott Expedition, Patrick Bliemer, Regional Manager for Intel Northern Europe, said: "We are delighted to be supporting this record-breaking attempt by Ben Saunders to complete the Scott Expedition.  That Intel technology will help him share his experience with audiences around the world, and bring back data from the Pole that will help uncover mysteries that remain to this day, is a source of much pride for the team here."

Ben Saunders said, "The Scott Expedition will be both the greatest and most meaningful challenge I've ever taken on. Physically it sits on the very limits of human potential and will require every inch of resilience and determination we can summon to complete it. Equally, it is an opportunity to recognise the remarkable work of Captain Scott and his men and use the benefits of Intel's latest technology to celebrate his story worldwide in a way that hasn't been possible before. I'm immensely grateful for Intel's support in providing the technology to make this happen."

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