Science
Researchers develop underwater navigation system to see through sediment clouds
A new technique combining sonar and image-matching algorithms allows remotely operated vehicles to navigate murky seafloors in real time.
The short version
- Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution created a navigation system to help underwater vehicles operate in sediment-clouded water.
- The technology uses sonar for initial spatial mapping, combined with an image-matching algorithm to quickly estimate depth and guide cameras closer to targets in real time.
- Developers suggest potential uses include underwater construction, scientific research, and clearing submerged mines.
Key facts
- Amy Phung and Richard Camilli of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution developed a new navigation method for remotely operated vehicles facing low visibility from kicked-up sediment.[MIT Technology Review]
- The system utilizes sonar to build a broad map unaffected by water clarity, allowing vehicles to safely navigate close enough to use optical cameras.[MIT Technology Review]
- Real-time processing is enabled by an image-matching algorithm, originally created by researchers in France, that estimates relative pixel depth in two-dimensional images.[MIT Technology Review]
Sources
- Seeing through murky watersMIT Technology Review metered