Where on Earth are they creating underwater systems that can detect explosives on ships entering U.S. harbors?
Florida. Innovation Hub of the Americas®.
Researchers at the University of South Florida’s (USF) Center for Ocean Technology have created a Real-time Ocean Bottom Topography System (ROBOT) that can rapidly analyze and image objects on the ocean floor or on the bottom of ships. While mounted on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the ROBOT can detect items such as explosives, drugs or contraband attached to the hull of ships entering a harbor. Additionally, it can scan the ocean floor for mines, as well as aid in locating sunken vessels. Leaders in ocean sensor technology, Larry Langebrake and his team of engineers and researchers utilize laser light to scan and create 3-D images of the ocean floor that provide real-time information including the shape, orientation, texture and volume of an object.
Another technology being developed by researchers at the Center for Ocean Technology is an underwater mass spectrometer that can conduct chemical analyses of seawater. In the instance of pollution or chemical weapons, this new technology has the potential to not only identify the pollutant but also track its path of dispersion.
Both technological developments have sparked the interest of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, and will soon be deployed in several harbors, thanks in part to new Homeland Defense funding.
Another great organization, SRI International, saw the great potential of these technologies and went a step further -- it decided to build its new branch by USF's Center for Ocean Technology in order to commercialize its current and future research. Today, SRI St. Petersburg is one of the growing number of R&D institutes locating in Florida.
For more information on ocean sensor technology, please contact Carol S. Steele, Ph.D., Manager, Administration & Organizational Development, SRI International, (727) 553-3975.
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