ALTEX Ice
Penetrating Communication Buoy
and
AUV Buoy Launcher
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The Atlantic Layer Tracking Experiment is intended
to perform oceanographic measurements in the Arctic using an Autonomous
Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The AUV will ultimately have to navigate its
way over 1000 km, 15 day voyage at depths of up to 1500m. If successful,
the AUV could perform scientific data collection that has previously
only been feasible from nuclear submarine.
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Periodically, the vehicle will upload its accumulated data to communications buoy, which will then float to the surface upon release and melt its way through the ice. The buoy will then deploy antennas to determine its location via GPS and to transmit information such as water temperature, salinity and turbidity via an ARGOS satellite. |
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SSI designed the communications buoy along with a section of the ALTEX vehicle that intermittently "launches" them. The buoy's capabilities have been successfully demonstrated in the Beaufort Sea. The launcher was successfully tested at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium (MBARI) test tank. In November of 2001, MBARI and SSI engineers spent 6 weeks aboard the USCGC Healy testing the etire system.
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CLICK HERE
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Scientific Solutions Incorporated
99 Perimeter Rd.
Nashua, NH 03063
Phone: (603) 880-3784
Fax: (603) 598-1803
E-mail: info@scisol.com