A new subsea camera has been developed that can see two to three times further under water than existing cameras and calculate distances to objects. This will make work carried out under water much easier.
SINTEF researchers are currently working together with world-leading partners in Europe to develop sensors and lasers for this new underwater camera.
The new tool is designed to make it easier to detect pollution on the seabed, facilitate marine species management, and carry out subsea inspections and maintenance.
Marine researchers can obtain answers to questions such as: How many fish and other marine organisms are living in the water and on the seabed, and how big are they?
Better general and detailed imaging
Tests already carried out demonstrate that the project is on the right track. In order to demonstrate the camera’s potential, the researchers constructed a frame which they placed on the seabed in Oslo Fjord in an area characterised by turbid water. They took pictures of their “target” using the new prototype and compared them with those taken by a standard camera. Even the first version of the new system produced much clearer images than the standard system.
The camera can also be installed on the hulls of surface vessels, or on ROVs, in order to monitor keys areas of the seabed.
“The new camera will provide better general and detailed imaging, and an entirely different database to that we are used to”, says Project Manager Jens Thielemann at SINTEF.
How many crayfish are there, and how big are they?
The monitoring of marine organisms depends not only on being able to classify species and count individuals, but also an ability to calculate their size.
Currently, marine species management is carried out by means of data gathering using sonar and traditional video cameras. Sonar can detect objects over longer distances, but does not resolve details, while video cameras can observe organisms on the sea floor, but are unable to determine their size or numbers. The cameras can either be mounted on ROVs or, in simpler systems, installed on sleds or the hulls of surface vessels.
“The biggest problem with traditional cameras is that their range is reduced in poor visibility, particularly in coastal waters made turbid by suspended sand and clay particles. Such cameras have a very limited range under these conditions”, says Thielemann.
Time-of-flight technology
The prototype camera is based on the smart assembly of existing technologies, although the researchers will have to make some key improvements during the next two years.
“The new images provide better data and information. High-quality visual imaging also makes it easier to communicate the information to external parties”, says Thielemann. “For example, occurrences of dead organisms on the seabed must be reported to the authorities, and in such cases it helps to have a picture”, he says.
Read more: Eagle-eyed subsea camera
The Latest on: Subsea camera
[google_news title=”” keyword=”subsea camera” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Subsea camera
- Kongsberg’s electric underwater drone with 15-day range nails final teston April 26, 2024 at 4:57 am
N orwegian technology company Kongsberg has announced the successful sea trials for its large commercial autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the HUGIN Endurance. This concludes months of assessments ...
- Clarenville-based company receives funding for underwater technologyon April 23, 2024 at 7:16 am
SubC Imaging, a marine technology company based in Clarenville, is getting $467,500 in funding from the provincial government to help develop a new underwater inspection system. The multi-channel ...
- Kongsberg’s First HUGIN Endurance Passes Factory Acceptance Testingon April 22, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Kongsberg Discovery has completed factory acceptance testing of its first long-range Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) HUGIN ...
- These supersized clownfish robots could be coming to waterways in the Middle Easton April 22, 2024 at 4:27 am
The standard version is about 4 feet long (1.3 meters) and weighs 65 pounds (30 kilograms) and can be equipped with cameras and sensors to measure ... and some oil and gas companies use subsea drones ...
- Penguin-Shaped Drone Reaches Speeds of Over 11 MPH in the Wateron April 19, 2024 at 8:27 am
The new generation Quadroin now carries an expanded instrument payload. The side-scan sonar enables acoustic seafloor imaging. Additionally, two full-HD underwater cameras—one forward-facing at a ...
- SIP Purchase, PDMR and Total Voting Rightson April 19, 2024 at 7:43 am
OTAQ Plc (OTAQ) SIP Purchase, PDMR and Total Voting Rights 19-Apr-2024 / 14:43 GMT/BST ...
- Video: Bio-inspired aquatic robot shoots through the water like a penguinon April 18, 2024 at 11:21 am
Penguins are fast, fantastic swimmers, so why not make an underwater robot inspired by them? That's just what German underwater tech company EvoLogics has done, with its new-and-improved Quadroin AUV ...
- Xiaomi 14 Civi launch fast approaching, picks up TUV certificationon April 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Xiaomi recently debuted the Civi 4 Pro smartphone in China with an eye-catching design and a bunch of impressive specifications including a dual front camera system and the newly launched Snapdragon ...
- Reuters Videoon March 24, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, ...
via Bing News