Well, it's official. After four months of traveling and a succesful journey, the first Niu device has run out of batteries. The first prototype device, which was launched from Waimea Bay, Hawaii on May 8, 2008, traveled 1,471 miles and was last heard from about 400 miles east of Midway Islands.

Read about the journey | Interactive map of the journey

All of us on the Project Niu team would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Korsak and his sixth grade science class at Kawananakoa Middle School. The students' contributions to this project and their excitement about science and protecting the environment have truly made this a wonderful experience for all of us!

We are working hard on second generation new Niu device, which will include enough batteries for about a year and will use solar panels to hopefully extend that lifespan. A ton of new features and sensors will also be included on the new Niu.

So, what can you look forward to in the future? Well, we will be launching at least four of these new Niu devices in January 2009 in partnership with science classes at Kawananakoa Middle School, Kaneohe Elementary School, and the Academy of the Pacific.

In the meantime, please send us your thoughts, suggestions, and stories as we work hard to expand Project Niu this year for many years to come.