Homeland Security to deploy underwater drones that mimic tuna fish | |
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Laura Bow (OP) User ID: 1158661 United States 12/01/2012 08:31 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | From DHS site - Protecting our Harbors and Ships with the BIOSwimmer The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding the development of an unmanned underwater vehicle designed to resemble a tuna, called the BIOSwimmer™. Why the tuna? Because the tuna has a natural body framework ideal for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), solving some of the propulsion and maneuverability problems that plague conventional UUVs. Inspired by the real tuna, BIOSwimmer™ is a UUV designed for high maneuverability in harsh environments, with a flexible aft section and appropriately placed sets of pectoral and other fins. For those cluttered and hard-to-reach underwater places where inspection is necessary, the tuna-inspired frame is an optimal design. It can inspect the interior voids of ships such as flooded bilges and tanks, and hard to reach external areas such as steerage, propulsion and sea chests. It can also inspect and protect harbors and piers, perform area searches and carry out other security missions. Boston Engineering Corporation’s Advanced Systems Group (ASG) in Waltham, Massachusetts, is developing the BIOSwimmer™ for S&T. “It is designed to support a variety of tactical missions and with its interchangeable sensor payloads and reconfigurable Operator Controls, can be optimized on a per-mission basis” says the Director of ASG, Mike Rufo. More at [link to www.dhs.gov] |
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