Onboard Processing and Transmission of Slocum Glider Acoustic Current Profiler Velocity Profiles

PI: Miles, Travis (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Co-PI(s): Jones, Clayton (Teledyne Webb Research)
Start Year: 2019 | Duration: 3 years
Partners: Teledyne Webb Research

Project Abstract:

The goal of this proposed project is to develop enhanced onboard processing capabilities on
Slocum gliders. Increasingly complex instruments such as acoustic current profilers, multi-
frequency echo sounders, optical laser diffraction sensors, wave accelerometers, passive acoustics,
turbulence, and many others have been integrated into autonomous underwater gliders. These and
other yet to be integrated sensors offer exciting new opportunities to sense essential ocean
variables throughout the world’s oceans and in extreme environments and conditions. However,
the large data volumes collected by these instruments cannot be efficiently telemetered to shore.
Thus, shoreside processing is not possible until after recovery and their use for real time
applications is limited. If vehicles are lost during operations in challenging conditions, or in denied
areas, no useful data will be recovered. Some sensors have recently developed self-contained
processing schemes on their proprietary systems. While this is a significant advance it does not
allow for user software to be developed including the combination of data from multiple sensing
systems independent of integrated sensors. Teledyne Webb Research (TWR) is developing an
enhanced science processor that will enable onboard data processing and real time transmission of
derived data products. Our research objective is to 1) integrate this enhanced science processor
onboard a Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider, 2) implement real time onboard processing
algorithms for integrated acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), and 3) transfer these
derived products to shore in near real time.

BAA: N00014-18-S-B007
BAA Topic: Topic 3: Sensor Technology Development – Topic 3A: Advancing Sensors for Physical Oceanographic Measurements