Deepwater Multiple Vehicle Navigation Upgrade

该提案将设计、建造、测试和评估一个长基线导航系统，该系统可以同时为多个深海车辆服务。目前用于水下航行器的基于应答器的导航方法，如Alvin， Jason和ABE，一次只能为一个航行器服务。提议的工作将增加标准应答器，包括精确时钟和控制电路，以便应答器可以作为精确计时的信标操作。这将使任何数量的车辆能够使用从被动跟踪中获得的数据计算其位置。该系统将提高传统远征模式下的生产力，并作为海底观测网络的一部分实现多车辆导航。为了确保与当前操作的平稳过渡，PI建议保留信标上的传统应答器功能。因此，如果只使用一辆车辆，则部署的网络将始终能够在当前应答器模式下运行。

This proposalwill design, build, test, and evaluate a long base line navigation system that can serve several deep-ocean vehicles simultaneously. Current transponder based navigation methods for use in underwater vehicles such as Alvin, Jason, and ABE can only serve one vehicle at a time. The work proposed will augment standard transponders to include a precision clock and control circuits so that the transponders may be operated as accurately timed beacons. This will enable any number of vehicles to calculate their position using data obtained from passive tracking. The proposed system will improve productivity in the conventional expeditionary mode as well as enabling multiple vehicle navigation as part of a seafloor observatory network. To ensure a smooth transition with present operations, the PI's propose to retain conventional transponder capabilities on the beacons. Thus, a deployed net will always remain able to operate in the current transponder mode if only one vehicle is in use.