SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Accurate oceanographic sensing of temperature, salinity, velocity, noise, and turbidity is important to broad scientific, commercial, and military applications. The subsurface environment directly affects animal migration, sonar propagation, global weather patterns, and the primary productivity that underlies the ocean food chain. Most current methods for subsurface sensing require stationing of a research vehicle at each measurement point, resulting in limited spatial resolution, short observation periods, and high cost. An inexpensive, long-duration, three-dimensional sampling platform is needed. Creare, together with our research institution partner, the University of California, propose to develop a Bio-inspired Profiling Float to fill this unmet need. The Bio-inspired Profiling Float adapts a proven autonomous underwater platform to this mission through the addition of a jellyfish-inspired lateral propulsion mechanism and energy harvesting technologies. The integration of lateral propulsion in addition to the host platforms existing buoyancy control, will allow any individual Bio-inspired Profiling Float to drift along at a programmed depth profile or maintain station depending on mission requirements. Energy harvesting allows for unconstrained mission durations providing detailed, three-dimensional sensing with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.
