DURIP Submersible Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) for coastal and estuarine research
Abstract
Acquisition of four submersible Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) is proposed to enhance ongoing and future coastal and estuarine research supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR, Code 322). When airborne, the subUAS will collect surface imagery for the detection of fronts and estimation of currents. When floating, the subUAS will collect echosounder data for bathymetry and motion datafor ocean wave estimation. When submerged, the subUAS will collect profiles of temperature and salinity as a function of depth. The subUAS will complement conventional measurements by providing broader spatial coverage and by accessing regions that are not feasible with ships or other manned craft. The subUAS will also expand sampling in the coastal Arctic, where conventional sampling strategies and access are limited by sea ice. These combined measurements will improve understanding of coastal dynamics and thereby improve the predictive skill in forecasting for these regions. Each subUAS will be equipped with a high-performance mobile computing platform (e.g., Jetson Xavier) which will enable on-board algorithms to process imagery and sensor data during flight. The algorithms are currently under development with ONR funding with a focus on estimation of bathymetry from IR imagery.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 08, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412537
Entities
People
- Jim Thomson
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Washington