Research scientists and engineers at the University of Rhode Island submitted a Proposal to the FY2006 Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). An abstract of the proposal is presented below.
Technical Proposal
Center of Excellence in Undersea Technology: The Grand Challenge of Distributed Coastal Ocean Network Systems - October 24, 2005
Abstract
The objective of this DEPSCoR proposal is to strengthen the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) capabilities to contribute significantly to research and development programs of interest to the Navy and to foster closer working relationships between Naval Underwater Warfare Center (Newport Division)(NUWC) and URI both to provide research opportunities and training in support of graduate and undergraduate education for the next generation of ocean technologists and to accelerate the development and transitioning of critical technologies from basic funded university research to the fleet.
Within the context of NUWC’s Distributed Networked Systems vision for Next Generation Undersea Warfare, and the extensive expertise and recent project experience that currently exists at URI we request support from DEPSCoR for the five sub-projects summarized below. While in various stages of maturity we view all of these projects as important building blocks of an integrated system.
An Undersea Sensor Network for Real-Time Coastal Observation
PIs: Alfred K. Hanson and Percy L. Donaghay, Graduate School of Oceanography
Objective: Enhance existing Ocean Response Coastal Analysis System (ORCAS) by implementing an improved wireless network and communications capability. The final product, ORCAS-NET will be a distributed network of multiple types of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with sensor payloads and smart sampling systems for real-time ocean observations and analysis.
Underwater Acoustic Global Positioning System (GPS)
PIs: James Hu and Harold Vincent, Ocean Engineering
Objective: Design and test an underwater acoustic GPS, consisting of a small number of acoustic transmitters (analogous to GPS satellites) permitting an unlimited number of small, lower power submerged receivers to continuously determine their time and position (analogous to the battery operated, hand held GPS positioning receivers).
Development of an Inverted Echo Sounder (IES) for Surface and Internal Wave Measurements in Ocean and Coastal Observatories
PIs: Stephan T. Grilli and Kate Moran, Ocean Engineering
Objective: Develop and implement a bottom mounted Inverted Echo Sounder (IES) to measure and record backscattered signals from the sea surface and other interfaces that exist in shallow, stratified coastal waters to enable real time, high resolution measurements of surface and internal waves.
Acoustic Velocity Sensors in the Shallow Water Environment
PIs: Peter Stepanishen and Harold Vincent, Ocean Engineering
Objective: Explore the use and characterize the performance of acoustic velocity sensors in a shallow water environment as a component of a large multi-element distributed sensor arrays for acoustic imaging and tracking of underwater targets.
COASTMAP 3-D: An Integrated Undersea Data Collection, Management, and Visualization System
PI: Malcolm L. Spaulding, Ocean Engineering
Objective: Extend COASTMAP’s (a globally re-locatable, coastal data information data collection, management, and modeling system) capabilities to serve as an undersea data and information management system and demonstrate its practical application for data collected by the ORCAS -NET project.
