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IMAPS, which is currently going through the patent acquisition process, has the potential to revolutionize the work done by biological, ecological and environmental researchers, who in the past, had to physically go out into the field to test bodies of water manually.
KEY FEATURES
- Suitable for water depths from less than one foot to more than 100 feet
- 20 times faster than manual water or biological testing
- Real-time feedback of sensor data and visual observation
- Access hard to reach or complex terrains as well as marsh area
- Remotely controllable from nearby land or via the Internet from anywhere
- Easy transportation , quick deployment and retrieval
- Straightforward operation with graphical user interface
- Open operating system for user-defined intelligence
- Low cost and low maintenance requirements
WHY IMAPS?
- IMAPS is a crossover between Unmanned Land Vehicle (ULV) and Autonomous Surface Craft (ASC) but it targets both surface and underwater sampling locations. It also differs from Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) because it can be deployed away from the users/operators yet keep real-time communication with them.
- By staying on the surface and being visible, and by observing the surrounding in real time, IMAPS can work in busy locations, such as ports, without being hit or blocked by other vehicles.
- IMAPS can easily maneuver around obstacles such as an unexpected reef or sand bar that may block the way. Current ROVs have a hard time bypassing submerged structures due to the umbilical that dangles behind. Likewise, an AUV in today’s technology is still not smart enough to navigate itself in complex zones. In contrast, IMAPS can simply swim/walk over the obstacle or call for tele-operation from a human user.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Researchers (and students) often need to study organisms in their natural habitats by either: 1) Physically taking a field trip; or 2) Going on multimedia “trips.” Field trips can be financially, physically or geographically prohibitive. Multimedia or science museum “trips” are inflexible and limited. IMAPS enables researchers to sample the actual targeted environment either remotely or on-site, while allowing for active decision-making, hypothesis-testing, control of the sampling regime and data acquisition.
A wide variety of underwater structures (e.g., levees, dams, piers), as well as ship hulls, need to be inspected regularly to prevent accidents or other mechanical malfunctions. IMAPS can be used in reservoirs, waterways, or ports to inspect these structures frequently and autonomously.
Further, with the increased security concerns on waterways, more effective means of inspecting vehicles and underwater objects are needed. IMAPS can help officials from Homeland Security, Customs, the Coast Guard, and Port Authorities to streamline and expedite their important work of underwater inspection.
Water quality scanning
Traditionally, water is sampled either through manual testing or stationary deployed dataloggers. Manual testing (Figure A) is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and the number of testing points are limited. Dataloggers are deployed on a buoy or installed on an observation station in the body of water but are generally limited by prohibitive costs.
IMAPS can scan the entire surface of the water (Figure B) instead of discrete points on a grid by cruising over a targeted area, probing with sensors and continuously sending data (such as time, location, water temperature and more) to the land-based host computer for real-time observation and analysis. The system is capable of working autonomously according to preset programs or manually, via a joystick and visual feedback for directed analysis. .
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