MRI: Acquisition of a BlueView Technologies Multibeam Sonar System for High-resolution Vehicle-based Sea Floor Mapping

PI要求通过购买多波束声纳和平移和倾斜致动器获得高分辨率测深测绘能力。这些项目将共同创造一个多功能的测绘能力，复杂的水下场景不同于其他车辆使用的科学界。这些仪器将提供一种多标量视觉和声学映射的手段，从一平方公里的10厘米精度下降到数百平方米的毫米精度。高分辨率测深图已成为研究海洋考古学和海洋学，特别是海洋地质学的重要工具。有效绘制水深图的能力将使PI能够更好地了解潜水地点的地质景观，并为采集的样本提供背景。这些工具还将完善测绘传感器套件，并大大促进开发机器人测绘技术的补充工程工作。所申请的项目将使PI能够使用平移和倾斜执行器提供的自由度适当地绘制完全垂直和复杂的水下场景，并开发用于创建海底3D纹理映射表示的方法。更广泛的影响：此次收购将进一步推动广泛的推广计划，重点是科学与技术之间的联系。技术和数据将被纳入海上教育者计划和鹦鹉螺计划的公共宣传部门。这提供了吸引公众参与并为K-12教师提供经验的能力。Nautilus计划为科学和工程专业的学生提供了大量的教育和培训。合作伙伴关系将在URI和合作机构的学生之间发展。还将通过Nautilus的医生待命方案向海洋学界提供水深数据。PI具有为代表性不足的群体提供参与机会的历史，并将通过Nautilus计划继续提供此类机会。海底勘探的实时交互式广播为广泛参与提供了极好的机会，即使每个人都无法与PI一起在远程位置的船上。对社会的好处可能会在探索和了解我们的环境的技术进步中实现，并通过大部分PI工作的人类学/考古学性质实现。

The PI's request funding to obtain a high resolution bathymetric mapping capability through the acquisition of a multibeam sonar and a pan and tilt actuator. Together these items will create a versatile mapping capability for complex underwater scenes distinct from other vehicles used by the scientific community. These instruments will provide a means for multiscalar visual and acoustic mapping over scales from a square kilometer with 10's of cm accuracies down to hundreds of square meters with millimeter accuracy. High resolution bathymetric maps have become essential tools for the study of marine archaeology and oceanography, particularly marine geology. The ability to efficiently make bathymetric maps will enable the PI's to better understand the geological landscape of dive sites and provide a context for collected samples. These tools will also complete the suite of mapping sensors and greatly facilitate complementary engineering effort of developing techniques for robotic mapping. The requested items will give the PI's the capability to mapping fully vertical and complex underwater scenes appropriately using the freedom provided by the pan and tilt actuator and develop methodologies for creating 3D texture mapped representations of the seafloor.Broader Impacts: The acquisition will further an extensive outreach program which focuses on the link between science and technology. Techniques and data will be incorporated into the Educator-At-Sea program and the public outreach arm of the Nautilus Program. This provides the ability to engage the general public and provide experiences to K-12 teachers. The Nautilus program incorporates a large education and training effort for science and engineering students. Partnerships will be developed between students at URI and collaborative institutions. Bathymetric data will also be made available to the oceanographic community through the Nautilus' Doctors-on-call program. The PIs have a history of participation opportunities for underrepresented groups and through the Nautilus program will continue to provide such opportunities. The real-time interactive broadcast of seafloor exploration provides excellent opportunities for broad participation even if everyone is not able to be on the ship in remote locations with the PIs. Benefits to society will likely be realized both in technological advances towards exploring and understanding our environment and through the anthropological/archaeological nature of much of the PIs work.